On April 22, 2001, Patches gave birth to 4 beautiful female kittens. She was a wonderful mom; it was so enjoyable to watch her mother them. However, when the kittens were about 3 weeks old, I noticed that Patches wasn't feeling well; she was lethargic, weak, and losing weight. I thought at first that it was from all the energy she was putting into raising and nursing the kittens. But as time went on, she grew weaker and thinner, until she was no longer able to care for the kittens. This is where Kitty came into the picture. She had had 5 kittens (3 of which survived) 10 days after Patches had her 4 and was able (and actually quite happy!) to take over for Patches and raise all 7 kittens. You can read more about her and her foster-mothering here.
We made a vet appointment for Patches, for a blood test and to get spayed. It probably wasn't the best time for her to get fixed, but as a feral cat, she had never been in a car before, and was extremely frightened at the idea of getting in one. So, as she had gone into heat again after the kittens were born, I thought it would be better to just get it done.
She was spayed and the next day I went to pick her up. The receptionist told me that the blood test showed up positive for Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). I, at the time, didn't know a blessed thing about this sickness, so trying to hold back the panic that had suddenly seized me while I digested the news, I asked the lady if there was anything I could do. I thought that Patches was going to die and wanted to do whatever I could to fight it. The receptionist said she didn't know much about it, but gave me a pamphlet to read on FeLV, which was anything but comforting. I cried most of the way home. When I got home, still crying, I told my mom what Patches blood test had shown. She knew the seriousness of the sickness, but said to me, "Just wait, Rachel, lets check this out before we believe that she's dying." So, we got out the books and did Internet searches, and found about a sentence from each source that said something to the effect that if the cat's immune system was strong, they would be able to fight this disease. It didn't say what to do to build up their immune systems though. I still wasn't able to think straight, so my mom said, "Well, we can order some vitamins and supplements to mix in her food, and while we're waiting for them to come, let's go give her some Barleygreen and Brewer's yeast powder." I started mixing these, as well as Nutrical, Vitacoat, and powdered vitamins (when they arrived) into her soft food, giving her as much as she would eat throughout the day. I also gave her scambled eggs and yogurt which she gobbled right up. Within a few days, her energy level was rising, and her weight started to go back up. (She was 6 lbs when I started her on the supplements, but was normally a 10 lb cat). In a month, she had gained back nearly all her weight and had regained her energy and life! And as the weeks and months went by, still eating lots of good, nutritious food, she became absolutely FULL of vitality.....she began to do silly things just to play, went for long hunts in our fields, ran back and forth just for the sheer fun of running, and overall was in better health then I had ever seen her before!!!
I wish I could tell every cat lover who doesn't know it yet; Feline Leukemia Virus does not have to be a death sentence! |
