An angel waiting in the wings

Mary needed a miracle. Miss Kitty, her rescued cat, needed emergency care but Mary couldn’t afford the high cost of treatment. Mary was determined to find a way to save Miss Kitty. Luckily for her, an angel was waiting in the wings…

Five years ago, a stray tortoiseshell cat was abandoned in Mary’s neighborhood and started living under her neighbor’s carport. Her neighbor, an elderly man, felt compassion for the hungry cat and started feeding her.

The arrangement worked for five long years until the man had to move into a nursing home, leaving the carport kitty to fend for herself during the harsh St. Louis winter.

Mary too felt compassion for the loyal outside cat and was determined to give her the protection and care she needed to live a comfortable life. Even though her husband was on disability and the family had a very small income, Mary resolved to give the kitty the care she deserved. “I did not have the heart to see the cat left to fend for herself,” says Mary. “She is extremely sweet and friendly, and loves people.” Mary took the cat into her home and named her “Miss Kitty,” and the once hungry tortoiseshell cat fit in perfectly with Mary’s other furry family members.

Soon after taking in the homeless cat, Mary noticed Miss Kitty drinking large amounts of water and urinating frequently. Mary took Miss Kitty to the veterinarian where it was discovered that she was diabetic and needed to start insulin treatments right away to survive.

Mary sent in a RedRover Relief grant application for financial assistance and our case managers knew she needed special help right away. “The vet said she has to be hospitalized for at least a week to get her blood sugar under control,” Mary told us. “He said I need to start it immediately. If I don’t, she would need to be put to sleep and I just can’t do it. She has had such a hard life and for the first time in five years, she lives indoors, and is being treated with lots of love.”

When RedRover Relief case manager Laurel reviewed Miss Kitty’s application, she knew the well-loved tortoiseshell cat needed a miracle, and she needed it fast. “High blood sugar like Miss Kitty’s is very dangerous,” said Laurel. “We needed to get Miss Kitty the lifesaving treatment as soon as possible for her to have a chance at survival.”

We called one of our On-Call Angels – special donors who respond when an animal is in crisis by making a donation to cover the cost of a lifesaving RedRover Relief grant. We reached out to an On-Call Angel named Michele, and she donated right away to help Miss Kitty. “Count me in,” Michele told us. “I am glad Miss Kitty has a family who wants to help her.”

How were we able to connect Miss Kitty with a donor so quickly?  “On-Call Angels are very special RedRover supporters,” said Linda Bak, RedRover Development Manager. “On-Call Angels like Michele help animals in need directly, which is a really great feeling, and helps the RedRover Relief team to provide more families with emergency financial aid for their pets. This program enables us to connect people who love their animals and need a little extra help with the people who have a little extra to give and want to help save an animal’s life.”

Thanks to Michele and the RedRover Relief team, Miss Kitty was hospitalized, stabilized and was able to return home once she recovered. We received an update from Mary: “I can’t thank you enough for your help with Miss Kitty,” expressed Mary. “She is doing well after treating her diabetes. She eats her special veterinary diabetic can food, and is a really good girl getting her insulin shots twice a day. Thank you all so very much for helping me to help her!”

Are you interested in being connected with pets in need and helping animals like Miss Kitty? Learn more about how you can become an On-Call Angel and play a special role in helping RedRover bring animals from crisis to care.