When I arrived at mobile adoption today, someone came up with a carrier containing a cat she'd found in her yard and fed Friday evening and this morning. She wanted us to look at him because he was skinny and she thought his legs were injured. When I looked at him, I could see that the "leg injury" was just emaciated hip bones sticking out. He was a very nice, laidback cat. Besides the emaciation, I noticed his gums were extremely pale, and although he looked ancient, his teeth didn't seem that old. Super dehydrated. No microchip. I guessed kidney failure.
My friend tried to clean off his mucky face by scruffing him and he began to cry. When she released him, this HOLE in his scruff popped open - I screamed because I thought his skin had just spontaneously ripped open. I knew she hadn't been being rough with him... how was this possible??
I ran back home with him to grab my fluids and see if my vet tech friend was home. She was and pointed out that the gums were actually yellow, as were his ears - this guy is extremely jaundiced. She looked at the hole in his head and reassured me that it was the result of a bite or some kind of tear, and had already been there when my friend scruffed him. The skin flap covers it up when he's in the right position. She helped me clean out the wound with chlorahexadine and I went looking for vets but the only ones open on Sunday are the emergency vet (I would get reimbursed a very small portion of a very huge bill) and the walk-in clinic (which had a line longer than the amount of time they'd still be open, plus I knew there was not much more they'd be able to do than what I'd already done - they give very basic care rather than being a full-service clinic.
So my plan now is to keep him confortable overnight, and bring him to our rescue vet right after work tomorrow. I know there's something going on with his liver. I don't know if he's "salvagable" or not but I do hope so. He's such a nice boy. We'll do a panel and see if we can get this wound taken care of. If his panel indicates anything that's survivable, I'll do what I can to keep him alive and comfortable and build him back up so he can perhaps find a home. He has eaten a can, had a small pee, and is napping on my couch now.



















& Callie