We have an older cat that has been with us for quite some time. His name is Moose and his name suits him; he is rather a large gentleman.
Moose is FIV-positive, which means he has AIDS. Moose has not had an easy life but he always seems to roll with the punches. He was found in town living on the streets and we could tell by his scars that life had not been easy for him.
Moose was not the nicest cat when he first arrived. He was downright mean. In other words, he was feral. Moose had a real issue with trusting humans, but that was OK, because we were patient and had all of the time in the world.
The days turned into months and the months into years. Suddenly it was if a light switched on and Moose realized that humans were not so bad. Every day he would bond a little more with us. Finally we heard that ever-so-faint purr, and occasionally we would get a head bump or two. Then it just became a part of his daily routine. We would walk in the room and he would come running to us when he saw his food. Needless to say, Moose was turning into a big marshmallow.
He loves us and we love him. We have developed this unconditional trust and we are all in love with this big guy. Moose has become bonded to one of the other FIV kitties, Keith, and the two are inseparable.
A few months ago Moose started having ear problems, so we took him to the vet and he was put on antibiotics, but his ear wasn’t getting any better. We went back to vet for a recheck, and it was discovered that Moose had a mass in his ear. We scheduled him to have surgery to remove it and it was sent away for biopsy. The results came back, and it was not good news: the mass was malignant. We were heartbroken. This poor cat deserved a break; he was just beginning to live a happy, normal life.
Determined to help Moose, we did our research. There were two ways to go. Number 1, a partial ear resection, but the chances of recurrence were 75 percent. The second alternative would be a total ear resection. It is a delicate surgery but the most promising one. The decision was made to schedule Moose for a total ear resection in a few weeks.
Moose will loose all of the hearing in that ear but that is OK. We feel that we are making the best decision for Moose. After all, he still has so much life to live. We owe him that much. We love this cat and he loves us.
The cost of the surgery is approximately $1,000. We plan on doing several fundraisers to help cover the cost of the surgery. We have Easter planters for sale for $30; all of the proceeds go to Moose. We are doing a balloon fundraiser as well, and will also be selling Easter cakes for $20.
For more info, please call Lorraine at The Hollywood Pet Salon at 532-7387. The final fundraiser will be a dessert auction. Stay tuned for details.
Those who would like to make a donation towards Moose’s medical expenses can mail them to 70 Main St., Houlton, ME 04730, or make them to our PayPal account. Please earmark all donations for Moose.
