Butterscotch

Last Tuesday I wrote about a kitten who’d been brought into the shelter where my daughters work.  She had a head injury and scrapes on the face and head.  She couldn’t stand.  In fact, she couldn’t hold herself upright at all.  The most horrible part was that she cried continuously.  She was given a steroid injection and an antibiotic injection.  Older brought her home from the shelter because nobody actually expected her to live.   And we didn’t want her to die alone in the shelter overnight.  Older had her when she stopped by my house on her way home.

 

 

As Older left my house that night, I knew two things.  One, Older didn’t need this extra burden in the midst of her wildlife season.  But she was the most capable of caring for this baby under these circumstances.  Two, I knew this baby probably wouldn’t make the night. 

The next morning she was still alive.  She could have another steroid injection that day if she continued to live.  She was no better and the only time she stopped crying was when she fell asleep.  She got that second injection that afternoon.  There was still no improvement.  Older explained to me that it could go one of three ways.  She could begin to decline and we would lose her.  She could improve and live a normal life.  Or she could improve and live with the lasting effects of head trauma.  We had to wait and see.  She made the second night.  She started being able to hold her head up.  Older had been syringe feeding her from the start.  Now she seemed to want the food.  When she tried to stand, she fell.  But the crying was less intense.

 

 

She made it through a third night.  But the real news was that she started showing some exciting signs of improvement on Wednesday evening.  On Thursday morning, Older delivered her to me to foster.  She was no longer crying.  She could hold herself up, but more importantly she could stand.  Once she started standing, it became obvious that she had suffered an injury to her left shoulder.  She was limping, but she could walk!

 

 

Her facial scrapes are nearly healed.  The brain swelling is completely gone.  As a vet tech, Older knows that the limp is likely due to tendon/ligament damage to the shoulder or a mild fracture.  Either way, it will have to heal on its own.  She might always have a limp.  But nobody cares!  We are THRILLED that this baby has a chance at a good life now.  As I said last week, her injuries are consistent with having been thrown onto the pavement.  She is so tiny that we know she wasn’t hit by a car as that would have killed her.  Whatever happened to her in those first weeks of her life, she has now recovered and CAN KNOW LOVE.

She continues to improve.  She now plays, falling occasionally when that shoulder lets her down.  But she gets right back up and chases those toys again and again.   I love her so much.  I’ve taken about a hundred pictures of her.  Here are a few of those.  By the way, her name is Butterscotch.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for Butterscotch.

 

And THANK YOU Karen, for your gift in memory of our Miracle dog.  You said in your card that you were sorry that your gift was so late.  No worries there.  Miracle was with us for so many years that I haven’t begun to stop missing her. 

See you tomorrow.

 

Comments

[The Poupounette Gang]

She is absolutely adorable! So glad your hard work saved her!

[Ginny& the Fur Family]

Butterscotch reminds me of my Cat that you took care of once with the shoulder muscle injury. She was black and I wrapped her paw where she stubbed it. We had to have her front leg removed and now we call her Onezy. She does every thing a normal cat can do.You love so deeply and you would do everything to save her life and now she owns your heart. I know how hard it is to lose furry ones. Prayers for her continued good health. She is so pretty.

[Cynthia]

Butterscotch is adorable, so happy she doing well. If we lived close I think I would nag my husband for a 4th cat...he says out limit is 3...but I have a fondness for the orange ones. We rescued an orange boy a few years ago when he showed up on our balcony but we were already fostering & had our 2 so he went to another foster & got adopted very quickly. The best part was he spent 3 days with us before he went to foster. I named him Sunkist & to this day I think of him & love him.

[John Bellen]

The later pictures show what an improvement Butterscotch has undergone. She does indeed have a wonderful future opening up for her now.

[Maria in FL]

Well, if anyone could save this sweet baby, it would be the Parkers. What a remarkable recovery, and what a wonderful story. I pray that she continues to improve, and I'm sure she will with all of us sending healing thoughts her way! Thanks as always for all that your family does for the animals in your care!

[Mary McNeil]

What a tough little girl ! Yes, she is wanting to love.People who say animals have no souls have never cared for one that needed more than just the routine. Purrs.

[Andrea and the Celestial Kitties]

Butterscotch is a perfect name because she's so sweet! You seem to always get those rare female orange ones, dont you? Well our prayers are with this one! Here's hoping her shoulder heals perfectly fine!!

Friends, please remember to help Winnie's Wish if you can with a donation or wish list gift! Thank you!

[Pam]

I’ve been worried about her since I saw that first awful picture. This is wonderful news and I’m thrilled that you have her in your loving care.