A 2024 Spring Update!
Happy Tails: Hercules finds strength with his new adopter.
Last summer, Hercules was found wandering in the neighborhood of a Good Samaritan. They noticed that he seemed very lost and confused, so they took him to the Animal Hospital of Saco, where the kind team there determined that he was mostly blind as well as completely matted, very overweight, and hypertensive. The Animal Hospital contacted HART to see if we could take him in, and we happily did. At the time, we started 13-year-old Hercules on medication for high blood pressure and found he could still see well enough to play with some toys and find his food bowls.
Before finding his forever home though, Hercules gave back to HART. In January, a very sick kitty named Sammy came to the shelter after his owner passed away. Sammy was also blind, and Hercules, sensing how sick this new arrival was, stayed by his side until Sammy crossed the Rainbow Bridge in February. Our volunteers and medical team cannot say enough about what Hercules's presence likely meant to Sammy in his final days.
We are delighted to report that this March, Hercules (now Archie) found his forever home with his new companion, Nancy, whose previous cat was also partially blind. In the short time they've been together, Nancy reports that she and Archie are adjusting well to life at home. Nancy has discovered much about life with a mostly blind cat: toys need to have balls or rattles or be crinkly, and scratchers need to be tailored to their needs. She has found that Archie prefers the pleasing texture of a carpet-covered scratcher, and she has several of them strategically placed around the living room.
Nancy notes, "Life with Archie is never dull, and I look forward to continuing to get to know him. He appreciates me and his new life and gives me lots of love in return."
Rory: A Maine Coon senior, ready for her furever home.
Rory is a beautiful, almost 16-year-old, patch tabby with white, purebred Maine Coon cat who was surrendered to HART in January. Her story is an unfortunate one, as she was a breeding "queen" who was bred multiple times but never had any surviving kittens. A few years ago, after moving on from the breeding situation, Rory was diagnosed with chronic Pancreatitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Cholangiohepatitis (liver inflammation), and increased liver values.
She also developed a large cyst, which manifested as an open wound on her side, and she had significant dental disease. Other than the administration of Prednisone, Rory’s ailments went untreated.
Upon entering our shelter, Rory had a medical evaluation, and we went into action. She had her non-cancerous cyst surgically removed, and she received a much-needed dental cleaning and lion cut shave. Post-recovery, Rory has been doing well, gaining back some weight and gradually growing back her gorgeous Maine Coon coat.
Despite being well into her senior years, Rory is an active and playful feline! Our volunteers report she is the first to chase after the laser light toy during room play sessions. She is also quite chatty, engaging visitors of Room 5 in spirited conversation.
In the short time that Rory has been with HART, her care has cost us approximately $4,300 due to the treatments required for her myriad of ailments that went unchecked for so long.
However, we are so happy to give this distinguished lady a new lease on life, and we are pleased to say that she is now ready for adoption into a home with cat guardians who are experienced in dealing with senior cats with multiple chronic diseases. Rory would do best in a household without young children or other pets.
Please visit our website for more information about adopting from HART and to access our online adoption application: www.hartofme.org/adoption-information. For the health and safety of all of our cats and kittens, we adopt to indoor-only homes.
Your Support Matters
HART is a primarily volunteer-run organization that provides a safe refuge to hundreds of homeless cats each year. We receive no public funding, but rather rely solely on the support of individual donors to help rescue and provide shelter and care for these innocent animals. It is only through your continued support that we are able to give cats like Hercules and Rory the care needed to get them ready for adoption.
Please consider donating to our Spring Fundraiser. Any and all contributions truly make a difference.