January 2008
Adopt-A-Pet Cat Collides with Guardian Angel. Well, Almost . . .
In late October an unfortunate thing happened � or so we thought. Our cat Kiera that was being fostered by Wilmette Pet, one of our wonderful foster homes, had become very comfortable in the store and was allowed a little freedom from her cage. Memories of her outdoor past were apparently beckoning, and she managed to walk out the door with a customer. The staff was on it immediately, but she escaped despite their diligent efforts. We posted flyers in the area and called all the appropriate agencies to report her missing. The store door was left open hoping she�d wander back in.
The day passed, and no word. Then came the next day ... Our thoughts kept drifting back to her, hopeful that she�d turn up, worried that she wouldn�t. Finally, the call came from a local animal hospital saying that one of their clients had brought in a cat that had been hit by a car and the microchip traced to Adopt-A-Pet. (Hooray for microchips!) A short conversation confirmed that the cat was indeed Kiera. But next came disturbing news: They said that she couldn�t move her left front leg and her jaw was banged up a bit. X-rays indicated a neurologic paralysis meaning there were no bone fractures but there was nerve damage from the impact. They explained that sometimes these types of injuries improve over time, but there�s also a chance she might need to have her leg amputated.
Relieved as we were to know that she was for the most part okay, our minds went to the potential cost to Adopt-A-Pet to rehabilitate her as well as trying to find a home for a special needs cat. But we also knew it was our obligation to do whatever was necessary to help this sweet kitty so long as her quality of life wasn�t compromised.
Later that day we got another phone call. It was the woman who had found the cat. What she said was music (meowsic?) to our ears: She wanted to adopt her! Yes, she knew the extent of her injuries and was willing to take that on. Kiera�s guardian angel, Allison, explained what had happened:
Allison was driving and saw a cat get hit by the car traveling just in front of her. That motorist just kept going. She saw the cat drag herself to the curb and into some bushes. Alison stopped her car in traffic, approached her slowly and was able to lift her up into her car. She turned around and went to an emergency clinic just a few blocks away but they were closed. So, fully aware she would be late for an appointment, she drove to her own vet clinic in the opposite direction and asked them to help. She had no idea if somebody owned this cat and would be missing her, or if she was a stray.
And now for an update: Kiera, now named Wellesley, lives happily with Allison and her husband Brodie and her feline pal Tatum. They took Kiera to have a shattered tooth removed and her jawline has healed nicely. They also brought her to a specialty clinic where she received acupuncture treatments and physical therapy. Allison and Brodie are consistent with doing the exercises 3 times daily, which Wellesley regards as playtime. Whereas she couldn�t use her left leg at all right after the accident, she now seems to be affected only below the knee. She limps a bit, but does bear some weight on it. She�s probably somewhat if not completely numb in her left paw, but has figured out how to clean her claw/pad area without biting down too hard and injuring herself. And for sure, her injury doesn�t slow her down or stop her at all from charging around the house with her new best buddy, Tatum.
"I'm so thankful that I just happened to be there when she was hit and that I have such a wonderful veterinarian. We couldn't be happier with our newest addition, says Allison.
We love when events unfold in such a way that it appears obvious that destiny is at work. In this case, two living beings merge at the same place and time to reveal what seems to be their intended fate. What were the chances of this distinct scenario? The accident happened less than 24 hours after she went missing, almost 4 miles from the store. How did she get that far in such a short time? What were the chances that a caring person would see all this and take the time to stop? And what were the chances that this person would decide right then and there that if this kitty didn�t already have a loving home, without a doubt she would provide one and nurse her back to health, vet bills and all? It�s obvious to us that this was �meant to be�. We just love happy endings � and this one turned out just purrrrrfect!
