Late yesterday there was a knock on the door. It was a young lady looking for help for a cat she and her friend had been given and asked to dispose of.
The cat was in desperate need of medical attention. She had already been declined for assistance at the first place she went. I said yes, of course, and I told her I would get her a carrier.
Her response was she didn’t need one because the cat was in no shape to go anywhere. Of course I asked many questions and received brutally honest answers. I wasn’t prepared for the condition of the cat when she walked through the door with it. My heart sank and I had everything I could do to keep my emotions in check. The girl was visibly just as upset.
Gi is a young cat that was brought in to the Ark Animal Sanctuary severely dehydrated and emaciated. (Courtesy of Lorraine Monfils)
At that point the only thing to do was to focus on helping the cat. The cat was emaciated, dehydrated and so weak it couldn’t even stand up. Even despite the cat’s circumstances we knew that it wanted to fight and it wanted to live, it was not ready to leave this world.
I took the cat home with me and hydrated it and started feeding it in small increments every half-hour. The poor cat was so hungry it was trying to eat the dish. I had never had that happen before and it made me both sad and angry.
It could not stand or go to the litter box – it just didn’t have the strength. It was also showing signs of being neurological which was not good. We made it through the night and contacted the vet and they said to head over. Our volunteer Ros transported the cat we now call “Gi.” We wanted a special name and Gi means “brave one.”
Once at the vet, after the initial shock of the condition Gi was in, they started working on her. They ran a full panel of bloodwork, hooked her up to an IV drip and started feeding in small increments.
Gi didn’t even weigh 5 pounds. Her condition did not happen overnight. The incredible thing is Gi’s bloodwork came back pristine. There were no glaring abnormalities, just dehydration and malnutrition. Gi does need some dental work, but mostly just love, nutrition and vet care.
GI is spending the night at the vet hooked up to an IV drip and being fed in small increments and if all goes well she will come home tomorrow and she will come back to The ark under our care.
The reality is that things like this happen in our own backyard and by people that you would never expect. While we are not certain what the future will hold for Gi we are certain that she is safe and warm tonight with a full belly.
Starvation is a very painful way to die. We are also certain that it was not time for Gi to leave this world. As the people who brought her in said she just had too much life left in her. I am so glad they saw that and did the right thing. Even though I have only known this cat for a few days I know she is a fighter and she wants to live. It was not her time to leave this world . Please keep Gi in your thoughts and prayers. We are hoping for some good news tomorrow. We will keep you updated as we get more information.
Thank you for your continued support and as always thank you for reading our column.
The Ark Animal Sanctuary is located on 101 Old Woodstock Road. To contact Lorraine Monfils call 207-532-7387 or check out their Facebook page.
