Your support of Alley Cat Allies has brought cats and kittens from the devastating grip of illness—or even the very edge of death—to a place of healing, hope, love, and new life. With so many inspiring success stories from this summer and early fall alone, choosing just a few to share with you in this newsletter was no easy task. So as you read, we want you to know: This is only a tiny sample of the lives you’ve helped us save!
Emporio’s New Groove
The only struggle a kitten should face is choosing between playing with a fun new toy or curling up in a sunbeam. But at not even a year old, Emporio’s mischievous, cuddly personality was fading day by day as he was wracked with seizures that impaired his sight and adventurous spirit.
Emporio has a condition known as a portosystemic shunt, which is an anomaly in his blood vessels that causes blood to be diverted around his liver rather than through it for detoxification. Seizures are a common symptom, as are a host of other medical issues that, if untreated, are deadly.
He needed specialized surgery to have the best chance at survival—and Alley Cat Allies ensured he received it through a grant to Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester. Now, with the right ongoing care, Emporio’s prognosis is positive—and he has many carefree days ahead of him!
We’ll let his foster caregiver, Allison, say the rest:
“Each day, Emporio is becoming more like his old self again. His favorite game is running to catch toys and balancing himself on the top of his scratching post like a circus elephant on a ball. He even has most of his vision back! He is now over a year old and, thanks to your generosity, has a long and happy life ahead of him.”
Two Lucky Charms
There’s a saying that “good things come in pairs,” and kitten siblings Clover and Charm certainly embody it! But despite their lucky names, good fortune isn’t the reason they can run, jump, and play to their hearts’ content today—the reason is due to generous people like you!
When Clover and Charm first came into Alley Cat Allies’ care as small kittens back in August, their eyes were crusted shut, and their tiny bodies were so weak with illness that they were limp. There were nights we worried they would not wake up in the morning.
But with top-notch, dedicated veterinary care—funded by our incredible donors—the brother and sister duo recovered little by little each day. And before we knew it, they were chasing each other around their playroom almost faster than the eye could follow—little streaks of inky black you would never guess were deathly ill days before.
Charm still has a cataract in one eye as a scar of her ordeal, but it doesn’t slow her down a bit. We think it just adds to her…charm!
It’s been our privilege to watch Clover and Charm grow into bright, playful kittens with boundless energy and our honor to have supporters like you at our side to make it possible. These two lucky kittens will be zooming their way through their forever homes for many years to come!
Snowball’s Chance
When Snowball, an indoor cat, was abandoned near the outdoor home of a local community cat colony last year, he had a storm raging inside of him.
The moment Alley Cat Allies received a call about the unexpected new arrival from the cats’ caregiver, we rushed the scruffy orange tabby to a veterinary clinic. The diagnosis: a urinary blockage, a critical condition that can become deadly—fast.
We jumped into action and provided Snowball with specialized surgery, which was a success but not the end of the story. For many months, Snowball struggled to recover. His health issues, and no doubt his abandonment, were taking their toll. His foster caregivers had to keep a sharp eye on his health and have the veterinarian on speed dial for many moments of setback.
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We want to know which issues affecting cats are most important to you. Click Here to take our 5-minute survey to share your thoughts.But through it all, Snowball never gave up—and his amazing foster caregivers were at his side the whole way. Today, after a long journey, we’re thrilled to say Snowball is finally thriving with no medical concerns. Even better, his foster caregivers took the leap and adopted him!