She Was Anemic, Injured, and Raising Three Babies. Now Cherry Needs Us!
Meet Cherry, a petite tortoiseshell mama who has already endured more than any cat should.
Cherry lived outdoors in Norristown, relying on a kind man who fed her and more than a dozen other homeless cats, despite facing hardships of his own. When he noticed Cherry struggling to walk, he reached out for help. We brought her and her three kittens, Airy, Marshall, and Jacoby, into foster care that very night.
When we rescued Cherry, she was anemic, underweight and struggling to walk. Yet she never stopped caring for her babies. She nursed them and protected them while her own body desperately needed help.
Then tiny Marshall, the runt of the litter, became seriously ill. Weighing just 333 grams, he was lighter than a single can of soda. His brother was almost twice as large, at 627 grams! Marshall developed dehydration, diarrhea, and a persistent eye infection.His weight dropped to 327 grams, and he needed fluids and syringe feeding. Thankfully, after supportive care in his foster home, he's now over three pounds and his eye infection is mostly healed.
We hoped Cherry was improving, too. But her limp returned, and X-rays revealed another heartbreaking concern.
Cherry most likely has a fractured hip.
Her X-rays suggest a possible fracture involving her left hip joint, and a radiologist's review is pending. If surgery is recommended, she may need a femoral head and neck ostectomy (FHO) to help relieve her pain and restore comfortable movement.
Surgery and recovery could cost thousands of dollars, in addition to the cost for her veterinary visit and diagnostic review.
Think about this tiny mama's journey. She was anemic, injured, and struggling to walk, yet she continued caring for three helpless babies. We may never know how long she suffered, but we know she deserved better.
Now it's Cherry's turn to be cared for.
Thanks to the kindness of the man who reached out, the cats from his yard have now been spayed or neutered, and many are in foster homes awaiting adoption. Two of Cherry’s sisters have even been adopted together already. One person's compassion helped change an entire colony's future.
She needs the opportunity to regain her strength, receive the medical treatment she deserves, and eventually find a loving home where she'll never have to struggle to survive again.
Imagine her future: a warm bed, a full bowl, gentle hands, and the freedom to walk and play without pain. Please help us give Cherry that future.
Every donation helps Stray Cat Blues cover her veterinary care, diagnostics, potential surgery, and recovery. No gift is too small, even $5 makes a difference!
Can't donate? Please share her story. Your share could reach someone who can help save her.
