One lucky cat: O’Malley’s Happy Tail
February 19th, 2020
Being a FurEver Friend to the animals is about so much more than your generous monthly donations – it’s about expressing your love and compassion for animals every day of the year. No matter the crisis an animal may face, be it a natural disaster or domestic violence, you’ve shown that you will be there when they need you the most. For one gorgeous cat named O’Malley, you were the difference between debilitating pain and a happy, healthy life.
With his beautiful orange coat and bright green eyes, two-year-old O’Malley is the love of Katie’s life. After her mother passed away, Katie adopted O’Malley to comfort her when her husband went on deployment. Every day he would greet her at the door and every night he would sleep on her chest. O’Malley was Katie’s best friend – with him, she never felt alone.
Katie was happy to have her husband home from deployment. Finally, they were all together with O’Malley and their dog. One evening, she noticed O’Malley limping and she immediately feared he had been squished in the recliner when her husband leaned back to relax. They rushed him to the veterinarian for x-rays, confirming he had fractured a femoral head in his hind leg.
Because of the location of the fracture, the veterinarian was certain O’Malley had gotten caught or turned wrong, rather than being squished. The little cat had been lucky. Katie was relieved to know neither she nor her husband had accidentally hurt O’Malley, but their relief was short-lived. The veterinarian wanted to create a “false joint” instead of repairing the fracture at the joint. O’Malley’s prognosis was good – he was a young and healthy cat otherwise and he could lead a normal life after healing. However, after paying for his x-rays and pain medication with their savings, Katie and her husband had no money left for the expensive surgery.
While her husband was active duty in the military, Katie worked part-time. Her paychecks were quickly eaten up by groceries and her car payment, and her husband’s income barely covered their rent and bills. With her savings gone, she feared what would happen to O’Malley.
He truly is the sweetest cat I have ever come across and it hurts me so bad knowing he’s in pain and I can’t do anything to help him.
Katie wasn’t done trying to help her beloved cat. In addition to being approved for CareCredit and applying to multiple foundations for assistance, she applied for a RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant. Because of your compassion and generosity, O’Malley had his surgery before suffering another day of pain.
With a FurEver Friend like you, O’Malley is doing great. Katie shared that he healed very nicely, and he’s been up, walking and playing like nothing happened. She said, “I am so incredibly grateful for your organization for saving him!”
Thank you for being the lifesaving difference for O’Malley, and for the hundreds of pets and families in crisis that call upon RedRover for help every year. We look forward to sharing their stories with you.
