Chicken Nugget’s Tale
Chicken Nugget was found alone outside as a tiny ball of fur only two or three weeks old. The kind gentleman who found him couldn’t afford to pay the extensive veterinary bills needed to help little Chicky so reached out to The Cat Connection. We took the sweet but struggling kitten, cleaned him up, got him the preliminary care that he needed, and started the long road of nurturing.
Tiny Nugget had a terrible respiratory infection and couldn’t breathe through his nose. His eyes were so infected and swollen that we didn’t have much hope that he’d be able to see out of or even keep both of them. He was so tiny that he needed feeding every 2 – 3 hours day and night! His care-giver sacrificed sleep for weeks and fought for baby Chicken Nugget 24/7. Eye drops, meds, syringe feeding, and loving attention started showing their efficacy after a couple weeks but Chicky still had a lot of growing and healing to do.
Since Chicken Nugget was so young and fragile, it wasn’t a great idea to leave him alone. We took him with us everywhere! He got to go on many adventures while he was getting better. He was a special guest at two Cat Connection garage sales, went on an exciting trip to the lake, and spent hours with our Cat Connection family. As he healed and his eyes cleared up, so many of us cheered for him! Eventually, he was big enough to meet a few kitten friends who were also found alone in the world. They went together to stay with foster parents for a while.
As Chicken and his friends got older, we discovered that they were positive for feline leukemia. It was a heartbreaking moment but we dug into research and discovered that this diagnosis wasn’t the death sentence that we feared. We knew the kittens had to find very specific homes with people who understood feline leukemia. The Cat Connection was able to find another organization that specializes in working with fe-leuk cats and finding them homes.
Chicken and his friends are happily still together and waiting for fur-ever homes. They are playful, loving, cheerful little cats who have, so far, beaten all the odds thanks to The Cat Connection and our friends. We thank all of our donors for providing us the means to treat all four of these buddies, especially Chicky, who needed so very much.
Mia’s Tale
in 2023, two neighbors contacted The Cat Connection about a dumped neighborhood kitty that had just had her THIRD litter of kittens outside. These neighbors were feeding this sweet, strong girl but noticed that she had suffered an injury about a year prior and limped terribly. These kind caregivers were afraid she would not be able to protect and raise her little family in the face of predators and other outside dangers.
No one could take her in so The Cat Connection agreed to step up and help this injured mamma and her desperate, homeless family. After getting Mia and her four(ish) week old kittens into fostering, we discovered just how badly Mia had been injured. Her front leg/shoulder rolled out from under her and stuck straight out to the side. We couldn’t imagine this brave kitty wasn’t hurting but she was an active, attentive, and loving mom.
We took Mia to several different vet partners to get as well-rounded an idea of her condition as we could while her kittens continued to grow. After x-rays and opinions, all the vets agreed that Mia’s lag was not savable. The bones that should have fit together to make a straight leg were fused into a T shape after healing awkwardly without attention. Poor little mamma cat was trying to walk on a leg that only straightened half way. We can’t imagine how she survived the injury, lived outdoors, raised babies, and remained such a beautiful soul while enduring pain and disability! While dealing with the vets plans, Mia and her kittens flourished in foster care and, when the kittens were old enough, they all quickly found happy homes.
Now that Mia’s need to care for her kittens was over, it was time for her to get the medical attention she needed. Our president, Mia’s foster, was pretty worried since The Cat Connection hadn’t done an amputation before. She knew that we needed to raise funds and make plans for Mia’s care and comfort while recovering. Once everything was organized, Mia had her surgery and spent much of her rehabilitation in her foster’s bathroom, where she got loads of attention from our president and her husband. They say it was amazing and uplifting to watch Mia’s grace, strength, love, and determination day by day as she healed and was able to overcome her challenges as The Cat Connection’s first “tripod” kitty.
The Cat Connection found Miss Mia an amazing furever home not long after she returned to health and we’re so happy that she still lives nearby with her family. We still get regular updates and photos. This wonderful girl is incredibly spoiled and loved just the way she always deserved. May Mia and her family have many beautiful years together. RESCUE SAVES.
