Yesterday, I received a text from a good friend of mine. It contained a link to a FB page. All Doris said was “I know you aren’t actively rescuing now but this one needs you.”

I went to the link and saw that just down the way from me a kitten/cat had been found. The person who found it was highly allergic to cats and couldn’t even have it around. The photo, the cat looked hammered. I could tell by the body language, this cat’s ninth life was slipping away. I answered the call and we went straight to the vet.

This kitty was as stiff as a board inside the carrier. She was a dilute calico long-haired, a real beauty. I could hear her ragged breathing next to me, and my foot went a little harder on the gas.

If she was feral, she was to sick to care. All I heard during the exams were a couple of growls. First we drew blood to see where the kidneys were. Blood work, surprisingly was good- elevated in spots that would explain her condition (horrible) and her stress level. She was rail skinny, she was sub-normal temp 92.3 when you put her on the ground, she would circle and fall over. It was hard to watch. We had pulled some pretty large waxballs out of her ears and she wanted to badly to scratch her ears, but she was so weak her leg would not make it to her head and she would fall over.

So now the discussion- what to do? I wanted her tested, so she came out negative! YAY Vet said, take her home, feed her, keep her warm TLC.

She hadn’t eaten for me, so I asked if they would feed her to see if she would eat? They brought in a bit of food and she scarfed it up- then threw it right up. Didn’t hesitate, just gave it right back up to us. That’s when I asked my vet, please run a film.  She would tell me later: “Good call, Mary Anne.”

Turns out, Peaches had a diafragmented hernia. Her intestines were exploding into her stomach and her lung was collapsed. I said a sad goodbye to her 15 minutes later. Before she left, she got kissed on her head, I stroked her beautiful face and told her I loved her. She was gone before the plunger hit home. Her leaving so suddenly put a big dent in my heart, and another hit on the vet we were trying so hard to pay down. But, even though our meeting was brief, I am grateful to have met her.