In the middle of a cold winter in the northeast a construction worker found an abandoned cardboard box outside a construction site. The box contained two very old cats, without food or water and near death.
He took them to a shelter where they did everything possible to save them. Only one, Jessica, survived.
Jessica held on but did not thrive -- she just lay in her litter box. The people at the shelter wondered if we might provide her with a home.
We took her to a team of critical care specialists who found that she was in kidney failure, had dangerously high blood pressure, and was blind because the high blood pressure had detached her retinas. A little over a year ago last December we were able to bring her home from the emergency care clinic to join the family of special-needs dogs and cats who live in our home.
Jessica learned her way around the house and found some favorite places. She was an extremely loving cat, always ready with a purr when you petted her, and a good sport about taking the subcutaneous fluids we gave her twice a day, purring during the whole process.
The end came quickly. One day she didn't purr while I gave her fluids. Later in the day she became unresponsive, her temperature dropped, and she was gone. Her kidneys had just given out.
She was a dear member of our family and we will never forget her.
Here's a photo of Jessica curled up in one of her favorite places:
Here's a link to the family of special-needs cats & dogs who live in our home.