Savannah's Tail

By Robin Holland

As a three month old kitten, Savannah came to Feline Rescue after being rescued from a hoarder. Savannah had a horrible upper respiratory infection. Her lungs were crackly; her eyes were watery; she sneezed dozens of times in a row all day long; and her temperature was dangerously high. She stayed overnight in our vet's urgent care ward for over a week, hooked up to an IV that administered fluids and antibiotics. When antibiotics are given intravenously instead of orally, it means the cat is in rough shape. 

If that wasn't enough troubles for this little kitten, she was also missing patches of fur. Tests would show why - ringworm. Ringworm is a highly contagious fungus (not a worm) that takes a ton of care to eradicate. It spreads quite easily as it lives a long time in the environment. It's one of the few maladies that can transfer from a cat to a human. Savannah had to be given an oral medication, a topical medication, AND get bathed twice a week in a solution that smells strongly and pungently of eggs. And because the condition is contagious and lingers in the environment, her living quarters had to be disinfected multiple times a week (all bedding and toys had to be laundered; walls and flooring had to be doused with bleach). 

And finally, the icing on the cake of woes - someone had wrapped a rubber band tightly around the end of her tail, causing the binder to cut into her skin, deadening the tissue. Her caregiver came home one day to find the last two inches of her tail had fallen off.

Despite having all these traumas heaped upon her, Savannah has remained a sweet girl. She's a mellow kitten who loves to have her nose kissed. There's not a bad bone in her body. She's easy going. She's happy. And now that she's with Feline Rescue, she's safe and healthy.

Update to Savannah's story: Savannah had her first adoption interview over the weekend and nailed it within the first five minutes of meeting her forever people. She was charming and engaging, playing with her toys and also cuddling up to the people. Savannah has been adopted! 

Photos by Kris Kaiser