Please help Jelly Bean, a very sweet kitten who was abused, neglected, and abandoned. There are more details below but the short story is that her legs were injured, she did not receive proper care for the injuries, and then she was dumped outside. She has had to have her feet amputated to remove dead / infected tissue and there will be future medical care - possibly more amputations, possibly prosthetics. She is handling it all extremely well and has a wonderful, loving disposition. We are determined to give her the best chance for a full and happy life.
THE FULL STORY:
Jelly Bean was found near an apartment complex in Sanford, FL where it appears that she was dumped.
She was found with injuries to both back legs. Her tiny legs were wrapped with dirty old pieces of t-shirt style cloth and the bands of cloth were secured with very tight hair ties.
The hair ties had cut off her circulation. She smelled of rotting dead tissue and infection. She cried out for help and an angel scooped her up and brought her to my house.
I have volunteered with a cat rescue for almost 5 years and have had my share of challenges to deal with but nothing as challenging as this. This sweet, adorable kitten's life was in my hands and some very hard decisions had to be made.
Off to the vet we went. Euthanasia was suggested. The words, "ok, let's let her go", were at the tip of my mouth ready to be said...but then I didn't say it. Instead, I asked the vet to give me a few minutes to process this and think.
Within moments, I knew this couldn't be her last day. I couldn't let her last day be one of pain, abuse, neglect, and abandonment. I needed to show her true love, true compassion, and true caring. We would take this day by day.
The vet checked her for a microchip and found that yes she was microchipped. She had an owner! She had someone who chose her and adopted her and since she was a kitten it couldn't have been very long ago! What a relief this was.
That sense of relief didn't last long. The vet's office contacted the owner of record. The owner would not authorize full treatment, which required sedating the kitten, until she could come see her.
But she never showed up! She never answered any more phone calls or returned any more messages. The owner abandoned this kitten knowing that it was severely hurt, in need of medical care, in pain, could lose her legs, had been abused by someone, and had been dumped out in the cold to die.
This week has been a whirlwind of research and learning, outreach to many wonderful and supportive people, vet appointments, surgery, and praying.
We don't know what Jelly Bean's future holds. We don't know if she will keep the rest of her legs, if there will be prosthetics, if there are other options, or if she will lose her legs in full. But all options and all available resources will continue to be explored. She will continue to get the best care that we can.
But what we do know is that her life was saved. She has had joy each day. She is a confident, resilient kitten. And we will do our very best to give her a life of joy and comfort. Each day so far has been a good one. Everyone she meets falls in love with her sweet personality.
Please consider contributing to her medical bills and current and future care expenses. This little lady is worth only the best!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
