Buddy was already showing his old age when someone took him in as a stray, but after six months, his new person realized she simply couldn’t keep up with his growing medical bills. When she brought Buddy to the Oakland shelter, he was skinny and sickly. Cat Town took him to the vet as soon as we could. As we suspected, he had mild kidney disease and hyperthyroidism, which is why he was so thin. He may have lymphoma as well. He needed bloodwork, a heavy duty shot of antibiotics, and fluids, but was still as sweet as can be through it all.
Photo by Cathy Niland.
Fortunately, Debra opened her heart to him and will care for him for as long as he needs. “I could never help Buddy without your In It for Life program,” she told us. But what do we mean when we say a Cat Town cat is “in it for life?”
Cat Town’s In It For Life program is more than our medical fund — it’s a support network. We cover the medical expenses for the rest of the cat's life, and can provide any advice or moral support along the way.
Photo by Liz Lazich.
Yes, we cover the medical expenses of senior cats like Buddy during fostering and after adoption, removing a major obstacle to adopting a senior cat. But at Cat Town we help so many senior cats and sick cats that we’re… well, we’re experts at this kind of thing. So when fosters and adopters have questions or concerns, we’re right there to make sure they receive the best possible advice. We know the warning signs that mean a kitty needs emergency care, what’s simply old age, and when to get a second opinion. And, at the very end, we often are first to see when our cats are ready to move on.
Many of our adopters call us to ask for help when it’s time to say goodbye, and we are there, holding their hand the whole way.
It’s not the easiest job in the world, but Cat Town believes that it’s important to give every cat dignity and love. We all deserve that, no matter what hand life has dealt us. So we provide our In It For Life cats with medical care, so they can have comfort until the end We place them into foster homes, or better yet, help them get adopted, so they can snuggle up in a cozy bed and dream happy dreams. And then, we stay in touch.
We are proud to be able to offer this support to our fosters, adopters, and our sweet cats. If you’d like to support our In It For Life Fund, or one of our In It For Life cats, please donate to help us continue to offer this end-of-life care.
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