This past weekend as I was walking our dog through a local nature preserve, we came upon this stray cat lying at the edge of a field. Our dog, who likes cats, immediately noticed her and got excited. Something about the cat made me think it was in distress. It wasn't moving and meowed loudly at us. I called my wife, who brought a cat carrier, and we took the cat home.
The cat was emaciated -- all skin and bones. As soon as we brought her home the cat gobbled down a bowl of food. She was very sweet, purring constantly and rubbing up against us.
We called animal control who had no reports of a missing cat fitting that description. The next day my wife brought her to a vet to check for a microchip, but there wasn't one. The vet said she only weighed 5.5 lbs and has elevated liver levels which could mean anything from malnourishment to eating a toxin to something else perhaps more severe.
We decided to try to keep her and named her Persephone since she was found out in nature right after the start of Spring.
The next day, she started having seizures. If you've ever seen a cat have a seizure, it is frightening. This was full on foam at the mouth, release the bladder and spin in circles twitching uncontrollably on the floor. The seizures could be caused by the liver problems. The seizures lasted two days, and our vet gave us some medicine to try to control them. After starting the medicine, she hasn't had a seizure for 24 hours, so we're starting to feel better. We are still waiting for medicine to help with the liver.
Our dog Sophie, who found her, has formed a special bond with the cat. She wags her tail and gets excited when Persephone is around. Persephone also seems to like Sophie, sometimes rubbing up against her. Our other two cats having been keeping their distance so far.
Wish us luck! Here are some picks from Persephone's first trip to the game room.
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