Rumpelmintz
Born: April 19, 1995
History: Born to a pregnant stray my friend took in. I adopted around June or July in 1995
High-maintenance characteristics: Heart issues and Gastro-intestinal disorder (IBD) – prone to projectile vomiting if not fed a species-appropriate diet (read: if fed dry food, or anything containing corn – doesn’t do well with beef, pork, fish, or lamb/mutton – we stick to grain-free wet poultry or rabbit foods), Kidney disease, probable hyperthyroidism, eye issues, possible triaditis
Lost: June 16, 2013, probable cancer (weight loss, nausea, bleeding from mouth, nasal discharge)
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Kitty.com
Born: estimated 1995 to 1997
History: adopted from a shelter in June 2002 – relinquished by owners
High-maintenance characteristics: Some mild dental disease. Had some behavioral issues when adopted – she was easily frightened and would lash out, biting and/or scratching – and she HATED other cats with a vengeance (would lunge screaming if she so much as smelled or heard one), now she just dislikes other cats a lot.
Lost: July 16, 2012, probable cancer or infection (mass in mouth, thickening/mass in neck)
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Jellybean
Born: February 1997
History: admitted with her mother and littermates in 1997. Adopted quickly, but returned years later for urinating outside the litterbox. Staff discovered her urine was filled with blood, and treated her condition. Adopted again, but relinquished to another shelter – who notified the original so she could be returned to it. Diagnosed with diabetes (at the shelter) around July 2006. Adopted (while diabetic) in November 2006.
High-maintenance characteristics: Diabetes – in remission with diet, feels litter boxes may be optional
Lost: September 7, 2010 to cancer
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Studley
Born: estimated 1997
History: a feral (unsocialized) stray cat my friend trapped in August 2002. I was fostering him until a no-kill shelter or home could be found. I fell madly in love and officially adopted him in November 2002.
High-maintenance characteristics: He used to be very shy as he was unsocialized prior to my friend trying to win him over to trap him. He’s much more outgoing now, and loves pets. He has a propensity for growing unusual cells. He had one eye removed (enucleation) due to glaucoma/high eye pressure. He needed a second surgery when the eye socket wasn’t healing correctly – and they discovered cysts all down the optic nerve. He grew a melanoma on his cheek on the other side, and needed two surgeries to remove it and the surrounding tissue. He had an attack of acute pancreatitis in December of 2008, which he was able to pull through. Unfortunately, Studley started losing weight drastically in January 2010 – and we discovered the cancer had metastasized.
Lost: July 12, 2010 to cancer
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Ralph
Born: estimated 1996
History: Admitted to the shelter in November 1998. By 2001, Ralph was in bad shape. Diagnosed with a gastro-intestinal disorder, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) and put on a gasto-intestinal antibiotic (metronidazole – brand name Flagyl) and steroids (prednisolone). He struggled with anemia. He developed a heart murmur, most likely secondary to the anemia. The steroids suppressed his immune system, and he had chronic bacterial and fungal (ringworm) infections. (He spent 26 months of his last three years at the shelter in ringworm isolation.) The metronidazole and ringworm medications impacted the liver, and at one point he was severely jaundiced. Ralph was put on “quality of life” watch in 2004, meaning the shelter staff had to consider euthanasia (putting him “to sleep”) for what seemed a lack of quality of life. I adopted Ralph (from ringworm isolation) in December of 2004.
High-maintenance characteristics: When adopted had IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) and secondary anemia, jaundice, diabetes, and a heart murmur. Also had chronic infections and ringworm. All cleared up with lyme dip baths, vitamin B12 injections, a proper (all-wet grain-free) diet, and a lot of patience and perserverance.
Lost: August 21, 2009 to blood clot
More about Ralph
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Louie (Aloysius)
Born: estimated 1998
History: Abandoned at shelter June 2003. Diagnosed with diabetes in September of 2003. Adopted November 2006.
High-maintenance characteristics: FIV+ (feline immunodeficiency virus positive) and diabetes
Lost: June 20, 2009 to cancer (mass in mouth, spreading to lymph nodes, etc)
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Omaha
Born: estimated 1990
History: abandoned at the shelter in 1994, with hip and other old injuries. Obese at admission, at 10 pounds. Two hip surgeries performed in 2001 and 2002. Adopted February 2003 – by which point he was over 20 pounds.
High-maintenance characteristics: Was morbidly obese at adoption. (Changing the diet to an all-wet diet (no dry food) was key to his weight loss.) Old injuries make it difficult for Omaha to walk, and he also has severe arthritis. He has ongoing dental/periodontal disease issues. Hates almost everyone human, except me. Territorial marking (urine spraying issues) – thus the piddle pants.
Lost: October 14, 2008 to something neurological (brian tumor?)
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Afer
Born: estimated 1988
History: admitted to shelter in October 1991. Adopted January 2004. She’d been adopted twice previously – the first adopter kept her a week before returning her. The second adopter “lost her outside” a few months after adopting her. She was outside several months before she was admitted to another shelter, who scanned her microchip.
High-maintenance characteristics: Kidney insufficiency, diagnosed in 2004 (but the specialist feels it was going on long before that). Gastro-intestinal issues (diarrhea) that cleared up with diet (no dry food, no corn). Heart murmur. A few big scares with a vestibular episode (seizures caused by an inner ear infection) and chest fluid build-up. A little shy, and is frightened of being picked up or sitting in laps.
Lost: October 10, 2008 to congestive heart failure
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Latifah
Born: estimated 1992 to 1995
History: Admitted to the shelter June of 2005. Fostered from March 2006 to October 2006 to better regulate her diabetes. Adopted in October of 2006.
High-maintenance characteristics: Diabetes, pancreatitis, arthritis, hyper-thyroidism (treated by radioactive iodine therapy), heart murmur, stomatitis…
Lost: February 16, 2008 to something neurological
More about Latifah
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Meow Meow
Born: estimated 1994 to 1996
History: Adopted from shelter in July of 2002.
High-maintenance characteristics: Diabetes, CRF (chronic renal insufficiency or kidney disease)
Lost: August 25, 2006 to heart failure
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Elsinore (aka Ellie)
Born: estimated 1992
History: Abandoned at shelter (with hyperthyroid and visible inoperable cancerous tumor). Adopted October 29, 2005.
High-maintenance characteristics: Hyper-thyroid, cancer
Lost: February 27, 2006 to cancer
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Molly
Born: estimated 1992 to 1996
History: Adopted March 8, 2001
High-maintenance characteristics: None – Molly always tried not to be any bother…
Lost: May 24, 2002 suddenly to kidney failure
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Monet
Born: estimated 1985
History: A friend asked me to care for Monet while he went out of town for the summer (May 1988). When he returned, he didn’t want her back.
High-maintenance characteristics: Vomited a lot, which I now know was likely IBD; over-grooming; skin cancer; CRF (renal insufficiency or kidney disease)
Lost: May 10, 2002 to kidney failure
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Lovey
Born: estimated 1988
History: Adopted from shelter in 1991.
High-maintenance characteristics: Inappropriate urination (urinated on carpets, bedspread, etc.)
Lost: December 1994 was euthanized for inappropriate urination (which I regret deeply)
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