Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

The big issue is that we cannot find a rescue to take her. She’s been turned down by several because she’s too sick. Still waiting to hear from two others, but its been weeks since we applied so not holding out hope. If you have rescue connections, please reach out to them directly with this post.

Peyton took a downward turn Thursday when she refused to eat. Given that she weighs six pounds and has chronic issues, we rushed her to Northside Animal Hospital the next day.

What we learned is that Peyton’s entire throat is inflamed and had not responded to the two previous rounds of Covenia antibiotics. Her teeth continue to look terrible and her Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) is also not responding to the antibiotics.

We decided to follow the vet’s advice and send out a culture of her mucous discharge for analysis. Dr.Cox thinks it is bacterial which means it can be treated with antibiotics, but we need to know exactly the best one to use. Unfortunately, only Covenia is injectable so she’ll end up with a pill or liquid. She’s on a round of a top shelf antibiotic that should at least help until the swab results are returned.

Once her URI is under control and her throat improves, we can discuss her teeth. Hopefully, once her URI clears up, she’ll be more appealing to a rescue group.

She’s a sweet cat who likes to sit on laps and be petted. She is curious about other cats, but she doesn’t seem to know how to play. She is older. We can’t even consider arthritis treatment at this stage until she’s better. She’s lively and curious. She wants out of seclusion but her discharge gets all over everything and we can’t be sure it isn’t contagious to the other cats.

What the vet is guessing happened is that Peyton had a flea allergy and a URI that were treated as a skin allergy with monthly steroids and antibiotic injections. Her infection grew worse over time because the antibiotics weren’t appropriate. She grew immune to the steroids and may have heart and kidney damage from excessive use. We don’t know why the previous vet didn’t address her teeth. Or send a sample of her discharge out for analysis. We have her vet records so we know these things did not happen.

But we know that we’ve spent more than $1100 so far. She’s going to have to visit the vet regularly for one injection. She will probably need multiple courses of the antibiotics. She’s going to need a dental procedure that could be up to $2000. Right now, she needs pain medication so she can eat. And that’s not counting paying for car fare because neither of us has a car, supplies, and the hours of time Marie devotes to Peyton. She has to eat certain foods. Plus, constantly cleaning up everything from her discharge.

Peyton would have quickly died from all of this. She would be dead by now, lying in the detritus of an abandoned building until someone scooped up her body into a trash bag. That’s the reality. She saved herself by approaching Marie.

The good news is that she did eat overnight after the vet gave her pain meds and another type of antiinflammatory disease. She has slowly been grooming herself – she’s still covered in muck and mire from God knows what, but can’t be bathed yet.

Lessons I hope you take away

• Pet cats belong inside. Period. They have no more capacity to decide to go outside solo than a toddler. You are the human adult in the equation. Figure it out.
• If your cat isn’t improving, talk with your vet. Don’t beat your head against a wall. Get a second opinion. Ask about all testing options even if you can’t afford one. For Peyton, we learned the top-shelf antibiotic was more affordable than a sedation exam so we went that route. Ask, ask, ask.
• If anyone – vet, trainer, next door neighbor, great aunt Louise – tells you “that’s just the way cats are” get another informed opinion, preferably a veterinary person. Take your records, make an appointment with a good vet – ask for recommendations – and pay the exam fee to confirm or deny the original information.
• Yes, that includes me – I’m just sharing my POV. Ask other people.
• If you can’t let go of your preconceptions about cats when faced with contradictory evidence of information, the problem is you. You might be right so go find more information. Don’t give up. That cat is depending on you.
• No rescue in the world (we are not a rescue, btw) has a huge pool of money to pay for your cat’s situation. I hope all cat lovers are donating to rescues, TNR groups, groups like ours, etc. The cost of a bag of treats, a few toys can help pay for food and medical care. And if it is literally your cat a resue or not-a-rescue is helping, you should pay the bills if you can. Not if you want to, but if you have the means or part of the means, don’t abandon your cat to some fantasy of funding or donations.
• I hate constantly begging for money. I hate that people without two nickels will give both while people who can afford so much more don’t give either. I hate having to point out that someone specific should step up. I hate all of this.

We hope once her URI is under control and she’s not sneezing wet good everywhere, she’ll be able to mingle with other cats and get into a rescue. We don’t have the means to pay for her dental work or a slot to keep her long term. She can stay with Marie for awhile and once she’s able to meet the other cats, that will help. We certainly aren’t going to abandon her or put her to sleep because of treatable medical conditions.

I’m grateful Peyton approached Marie for help and angry Peyton was in need of so much help. #PghCatFolx is not a rescue or foster organization. But what could we do? If she been taken to a shelter in that condition, she would have been put down because they have a constant influx of cats. If she went to most rescues, she’d be in a crate because space is limited. That’s better than being outside suffering because she couldn’t eat. But she’s past that now. She needs a foster placement.

And, yes, Marie did offer to foster her if a rescue group agreed, but none have yet to take her up on that. What does it matter? Not just the $$, but having access to much more affordable veterinary care, other fosters for advice, supplies, knowing someone is handling potential adoptions, and someone is able to make hard decisions.

If we can get the URI under control, reduce the inflammation in her throat, pull her rotten teeth, and get more weight on her. Oh, and get her coat cleaned up -she could have many years. We know her kidneys are in great shape for her age. Her lungs are clear. Her heart is strong. She’s a survivor.

I realize how strident I sound in this post. I’m so frustrated that rescues won’t help because I suspect it has more to do with gossip about me than the cats. And I’m unsure what else we can do but scrape together the money for the vet bills. I have no idea how to do rescue things – it requires insurance, permits, licensing, a war chest. We can’t do it and continue our existing work. We can’t do it.

If Peyton stays with Marie, she will have a good home. But we will lose Marie as a temporary space to keep other cats we trap while waiting to reunite them with owners or place. We won’t be able to do that because we have zero spaces. We have to trap our own Oksana and Pretty Girl from Fort Faulsey colony, but there is no space even overnight and our budget is tapped.

We really need help here. There are no more nickels to rub together.

You can donate directly to Peyton’s care via a Facebook Fundraiser

You can also donate via Venmo @PittsburghLGBTQ or PayPalCharities bit.ly/PayPalPLC

All of these are tied to Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities, the parent organization of #PghCatFolx. PLC is a IRS registered 501c3 nonprofit.