I’ve been rescuing furry little street orphans ever since Hurricane Katrina devastated our Gulf Coast twelve years ago, leaving thousands of them homeless. As a result, our home has been filled with needy street orphans for the past twelve years – both feline and canine.
I promised my extremely understanding spouse that I would finally end my pet rescue efforts this year; but before long, I found this unfortunate little feline. She was living out on the mean city streets with a colony of feral cats, but she was different from them. She was far more frightened than feral, and she was truly a mess. Every time that I encounter one of her kind, my heart always breaks for them.
So, unfortunately, I broke my promise to my spouse, and I managed to catch her in a cat trap with some enticing food. I took her straight to an animal hospital. Sadly, I learned that she was FIV Positive; that she had not been spayed; and that she had no microchip. This poor little street orphan did, however, have a skin infection, an ear infection, a gum infection, and her once long and luxurious fur coat was extremely filthy and matted beyond belief.
They had to shave her entire body at the animal hospital; give her a much-needed bath; and some antibiotics. My spouse and I also began giving her daily ear drops in our home for her ear infection, and we eventually took her back to the animal hospital for some urgent dental work and teeth cleaning. They had to extract eight cracked and infected teeth, and now, she is finally on the road to recovery.
When I rescued her from the streets, I named this poor little street orphan ‘Harrienyet.’ ‘Nyet’ is the Russian word for ‘No.’ This poor little sick girl, shaved and furless, is also an older feline. More frightened than feral, I imagine that she once had a home somewhere, before she was cruelly tossed out by someone or callously left behind to fend for herself when they moved away.
And even sadder to me, there are millions of homeless street orphans just like her wandering the mean streets of America today. Their dire plight will not change until we finally pass mandatory laws to Spay and Neuter and Microchip all our pets.
Thankfully, over the past few months, Little Harrienyet has been slowly learning to trust human beings again; her fur is growing out again; and she is now starting to enjoy being petted and talked to by my spouse and I. She is finally receiving the love and the care that every pet (both feline and canine) truly deserves from each and every one of us.
Please Adopt, Don’t Shop, For Your Next Pet. And Please Spay and Neuter and Microchip Your Own Pets.
Ed Kostro
Lead me down all the right paths,
Keep me from fleas, bees, and baths.
Let me in should it storm,
Keep me safe, fed, and warm.