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Christmas 2015, Special Tails
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About FIESTA
THE SEVENTH SAVE OF CHRISTMAS: FIESTA
We like to think that there is at least some good in everyone, but now and then we are reminded that there are people who throw tiny kittens out of moving motor vehicles. It was Fiesta’s plight to meet such a horrid person, who flung her out of a moving car in downtown Sacramento.
Luckily, a Good Samaritan was driving a short distance back and witnessed the terrible event. He stopped, picked up the hurt kitten, and rushed to a nearby shelter, where Fiesta was evaluated and transferred immediately to an emergency animal hospital. The hospital found that in addition to cuts and scrapes, Fiesta had a broken pelvis. The shelter asked for our help, and we took little Fiesta into rescue.
The break in her pelvis required five weeks of cage rest, which is always tough for a small kitten, but in Fiesta’s case there were even more complications. After a few days in rescue, Fiesta’s foster mom noticed some changes in Fiesta’s tail. Most likely her tail suffered tissue damage when she was thrown from the car. In any case, her tail became rigid, with ulcerated tissue visible. Once again Fiesta had to be rushed to the veterinarian, where she had her tail surgically amputated; otherwise she might have become septic, which would have been life threatening.
Fiesta again did well in surgery and has totally recovered. She probably hasn’t even noticed that she is now a cute little Manx-like kitten with just a little stub for a tail! More remarkably, she emerged from those rough beginnings as a happy, frolicsome kitty, ready to trust human beings again despite the dramatic cruelty she once experienced. In this case as in so many others that we see in rescue, there is much that the kitties have to teach us about resilience and faith.
Fiesta’s story also highlights another aspect of rescue and the crucial role of our extended family–people like you. At Purebreds Plus, we are lucky to have a group of volunteers who, with no remuneration, put themselves at the service of cats in need from day to day. But we could not possibly do all that we do without the generosity of all the good-hearted people who donate to defray the costs of veterinary care for many of our kitties. In Fiesta’s case, a guardian angel contributed enough to cover the whole cost of surgery, but donations in smaller amounts add up too, making a huge difference in our ability to save lives and help cats on their journey from dire situations to permanent homes.