You can’t save every cat in the world but you can change the world for each and every cat that you can rescue. I will briefly begin with the history of Diane on December 21. Judy Johnson called me when she spotted a very thin tabby on her deck. It was very cold that evening, but Judy was able to quietly walk up and pick her up. Immediately she snuggled into her coat. I was called and Judy brought her to me. She ate like there was no tomorrow. When her tummy was full and she was curled into the heating pad, her little paws kept kneading.
Going through her health issues were touch and go, and thankfully Dr. Ashton did everything she could do, to give her a chance. She had the will to live but was right at the brink of certain death. I put a large kennel in my guest bedroom (aka cat ICU hospital, hospice room). She was not only dehydrated, but she refused to eat or drink. It’s like she wanted to but didn’t have the strength. Day after day, and at each vet appointment she gained but at a very slow rate. IV’s were given of several types of medication but her stools were black looking water, and she refused to eat. After several trips to see Dr. Ashton it was decided that we would give her two more days and if she was still refusing food and water we would let her cross the Rainbow Bridge. On the morning of day two, I took her out of the kennel and let her roam around the house. She seemed so happy to be able to walk slowly around investigating. I heard a noise in the kitten and was startled to see the cat food container knocked over and Sweet Pea was actually eating HARD cat food, she wouldn’t eat tuna, rotisserie chicken, and any type of wet food and here she was gulping down hard cat food. I knew we had turned the corner and she was going to be okay.
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I wrote this story and shortly after Paws for Pets was published in January I received a call from Melinda. She was looking for a miracle and in the Paws for Pets picture, Andy, Melinda’s husband said “I think this is our Sweet Pea” In April of last year they had a house fire on East Nobes Road. Melinda told me that they had 4 cats at that time. When things calmed down, three of their cats returned, but they never found Sweet Pea. They had to move out of the York area to find accommodations for their family of six, until the house could be livable again, but every time they came back they searched for Sweet Pea. Andy, her husband, was reading the Paws for Pets article, and said I think this is Sweet Pea. She immediately called me and I was a little apprehensive as everyone knows Tiger tabbies tend to look alike but told her that when she received a clean bill of health I would let her know.
“I was happy but at the same apprehensive. Sweet Pea had escaped and fled in April and this little girl wasn’t found until December 21. Where had she been for almost 8 months? How could a house cat live in the country during the cold winter days and nights and finally make it into the south edge of York and suddenly be seen sitting on Judy Johnson’s deck? What are the odds? Well the odds were at an all-time high. Because on March 12, when they drove up in front of my house and when their children came up to my front porch. I immediacy knew a miracle was happening, not a worldwide miracle but one for this family, with their home being destroyed by fire, the loss of their Sweet Pea, this simple sweet tabby indeed recognized all of them, purring butting her head to their faces, I think it was Elyse who said, “Look there is her white spot on her back paw.”
We will never know exactly where Sweet Pea had been for 8 months, we only know that if Judy had not called and reached out for help and if Dr. Ashton hadn’t taken charge of making this very ill little cat regain her health the ending could have been so much worse. That was the beginning of the miracle. From the day I met her I thought she had the sweetest personality, and to find out that her given name was Sweet Pea seemed remarkable. She could easily have hidden in a ditch or behind a building to die alone but she picked the perfect house when she jumped up on Judy’s deck. Only good things followed in her extraordinary venture. Thank you Judy for rescuing her, thank you Dr. Ashton for giving her badly needed vet care. And thank you to the Marquart family for never giving up looking and hoping that Sweet Pea could be found. Don’t you just love happy endings?