Meet the Residents of Under One Sky
Sammy
Sammy is the original paraplegic cat of UOSAR and the reason we now specialize in disabled cats. Sammy holds a very special place in my heart.
His story begins in October of 2016 in a grocery store parking lot where a homeless couple was trying to sell him. Little 3 month old Sammy was in a cardboard box and barely moving. I bought him for $10.00 and a sandwich then immediately took him to the vet who of course suggested euthenasia. Sammy's injuries were consistent with being hit by a car. He was lucky to be alive. As I sat in the waiting room crying and trying to decide if I should take the vet's advice and end Sammy's young life I recalled something I had briefly seen years ago and looked up "paralyzed cat" on Youtube. That was it. End of story. I would NOT be ending his life... not today.
You see, other cats were thriving with paraplegia thanks to their loving and very brave owners. I decided that I would let Sammy choose if he wanted to be here and I would help him in any way that I could. I would learn how to care for him properly. It would be a very difficult journey for both of us but it changed me beyond comprehension. And because I learned how to care for Sammy I have been able to help many special needs animals and their humans to live with disabilities.
Sammy is now 5 years young and making mischief daily here at UOSAR. He is the smartest cat I have ever known. He knows how to get my attention whenever he wants a pet or a treat. He is also one of the fastest cats I have ever had as well! He slides around at breakneck speed and I am always amazed at his ability to be completely unaffected by his disability. Have a look at "Sammy's story" on our site... our good friends at www.meow.af made this video to inspire.
You can see allot more of Sammy's story here:
https://meow.af/meet-the-handsome-cat-with-hind-leg-paralysis-who-is-thriving-at-a-los-angeles-animal-sanctuary/
His story begins in October of 2016 in a grocery store parking lot where a homeless couple was trying to sell him. Little 3 month old Sammy was in a cardboard box and barely moving. I bought him for $10.00 and a sandwich then immediately took him to the vet who of course suggested euthenasia. Sammy's injuries were consistent with being hit by a car. He was lucky to be alive. As I sat in the waiting room crying and trying to decide if I should take the vet's advice and end Sammy's young life I recalled something I had briefly seen years ago and looked up "paralyzed cat" on Youtube. That was it. End of story. I would NOT be ending his life... not today.
You see, other cats were thriving with paraplegia thanks to their loving and very brave owners. I decided that I would let Sammy choose if he wanted to be here and I would help him in any way that I could. I would learn how to care for him properly. It would be a very difficult journey for both of us but it changed me beyond comprehension. And because I learned how to care for Sammy I have been able to help many special needs animals and their humans to live with disabilities.
Sammy is now 5 years young and making mischief daily here at UOSAR. He is the smartest cat I have ever known. He knows how to get my attention whenever he wants a pet or a treat. He is also one of the fastest cats I have ever had as well! He slides around at breakneck speed and I am always amazed at his ability to be completely unaffected by his disability. Have a look at "Sammy's story" on our site... our good friends at www.meow.af made this video to inspire.
You can see allot more of Sammy's story here:
https://meow.af/meet-the-handsome-cat-with-hind-leg-paralysis-who-is-thriving-at-a-los-angeles-animal-sanctuary/
Beluga
Beluga came to UOSAR as a medical foster from another local rescue called Stray Cal Alliance in July of 2018 with a spinal injury from being shot with a BB gun at close range and possibly some other blunt force trauma. He was so small, only 5 weeks old. His life could have ended in tragedy as the veterinarian recommended euthanasia. This is what 90% of Vets say about animals with spinal injuries. They say this because they believe that the animal will have no quality of life which is simply not true, especially in Beluga's case. From the second I saw Beluga I knew he wanted to live. He was so feisty and full of life. I got him home and cleaned him up as he had not been properly cared for at the vet clinic he was at. They left him to sit in his own feces for hours at a time.
Beluga began a treatment plan of physical therapy and acupuncture but unfortunately his spinal injury was not one that could be fixed. But that is not a problem for us or for him!
Beluga has a wheelchair and even when he is not using it he gets around just fine. He can climb cat trees and ramps and pretty much anything that gets in his way. He, like all the paraplegics in our care, has truly impressive upper body strength. They are so inspiring to watch!
Beluga now thrives in every way at UOSAR.
His bladder is expressed three times per day and his feces is extracted using a non invasive method once per day. All of these actions only require about 8 minutes of time per day... Anyone can care for a special needs kitty like Beluga. All it takes is a little patience to learn the methods and a lot of LOVE.
Alita
Alita the sassy Siamese kitten came to UOSAR in September of 2018 as a medical foster from our friends at Stray Cat Alliance. My specialty is paraplegic cats so I was well prepared to take care of this sweet little princess. As is the unfortunate and unnecessary norm in veterinary medicine, the vet wanted to euthanize her stating that she would have "no quality of life" as she was. That statement would very quickly be debunked as little Alita showed us her true spirit and zest for life.
All we knew about Alita is that she was found somewhere in Los Angeles dragging her tiny 4 week old body because her back legs were not working. After careful examination and X Rays the vet surmised that she was the victim of blunt force trauma and not a birth defect. Alitas spinal injury could not be corrected so we knew she would never be able to "walk" using her back legs... but did that stop our tiny but mighty girl? NO! She began to develop incredible upper body strength and suddenly she could go ANYWHERE! It is so amazing to watch this little spitfire zoom around. Nothing stops her from her daily quests of curiosity.
Because she is paraplegic and 100% incontinent I express her bladder several times a day and her feces once a day. She doesn't leak as long as I do this for her and she does not need diapers. Alita is thriving today and I cannot imagine a world without her in it. She brings tears of joy and laughter to us everyday here at UOSAR.
Alita will remain here at UOSAR for all the rest of her days living the good life. Have a look at her inspiring video made by our good friends from www.meow.af
You can also see Alita's full story here:
https://meow.af/meet-the-sweet-and-sassy-siamese-kitten-with-paralysis-who-was-found-dragging-herself-along-the-streets-of-los-angeles/
All we knew about Alita is that she was found somewhere in Los Angeles dragging her tiny 4 week old body because her back legs were not working. After careful examination and X Rays the vet surmised that she was the victim of blunt force trauma and not a birth defect. Alitas spinal injury could not be corrected so we knew she would never be able to "walk" using her back legs... but did that stop our tiny but mighty girl? NO! She began to develop incredible upper body strength and suddenly she could go ANYWHERE! It is so amazing to watch this little spitfire zoom around. Nothing stops her from her daily quests of curiosity.
Because she is paraplegic and 100% incontinent I express her bladder several times a day and her feces once a day. She doesn't leak as long as I do this for her and she does not need diapers. Alita is thriving today and I cannot imagine a world without her in it. She brings tears of joy and laughter to us everyday here at UOSAR.
Alita will remain here at UOSAR for all the rest of her days living the good life. Have a look at her inspiring video made by our good friends from www.meow.af
You can also see Alita's full story here:
https://meow.af/meet-the-sweet-and-sassy-siamese-kitten-with-paralysis-who-was-found-dragging-herself-along-the-streets-of-los-angeles/
Dexter
Dexter came to UOSAR from the sad situation of owner surrender.
Although he may not look like it on the outside Dexter is a special needs cat.
He is prone to bladder stones and has already had one very costly surgery to remove a large stone.
He has to remain on a special diet that dissolves the stones. No one is really sure why some cats are prone to having these stones.
Currently Dexter has a small stone and his special food didn’t dissolve it so we are trying another brand and formulation.
Unfortunately Dexter has another possible life threatening issue. He has strange speckles that are starting to appear in his right eye. If they get worse he will need to have his eye removed as this can be a sign of cancer.
But rest assured that we will do all we can for this handsome 9 year old boy. His forever home is here with us at UOSAR.
Although he may not look like it on the outside Dexter is a special needs cat.
He is prone to bladder stones and has already had one very costly surgery to remove a large stone.
He has to remain on a special diet that dissolves the stones. No one is really sure why some cats are prone to having these stones.
Currently Dexter has a small stone and his special food didn’t dissolve it so we are trying another brand and formulation.
Unfortunately Dexter has another possible life threatening issue. He has strange speckles that are starting to appear in his right eye. If they get worse he will need to have his eye removed as this can be a sign of cancer.
But rest assured that we will do all we can for this handsome 9 year old boy. His forever home is here with us at UOSAR.
Noodle
Noodle came to us very recently by way of Panther City TNR coalition of Fort Worth Texas.
Noodle is our medical foster and is the only survivor of a dog attack. Sadly, her siblings did not make it.
A good Samaritan found the injured kitten and took her to get medical attention. At the time Noodle could not walk and had a severe spinal injury. She was only five weeks old.
At this time she can walk but she cannot go to the bathroom on her own. Since this is my specialty Panther City TNR coalition asked me to step in and help with her care.
Noodle gets acupuncture, cold laser and Assisi loop therapy weekly in the hopes that she will regain full function of her bladder and bowel. But in the meantime it only takes me a few minutes a day to express her bladder and to extract the feces from her bowel.
The ultimate goal with Noodle is for her to be able to use the litter box on her own at which time she has a forever home waiting for her. If she never regains this ability she will have a permanent home here with us at UOSAR.
Noodle is our medical foster and is the only survivor of a dog attack. Sadly, her siblings did not make it.
A good Samaritan found the injured kitten and took her to get medical attention. At the time Noodle could not walk and had a severe spinal injury. She was only five weeks old.
At this time she can walk but she cannot go to the bathroom on her own. Since this is my specialty Panther City TNR coalition asked me to step in and help with her care.
Noodle gets acupuncture, cold laser and Assisi loop therapy weekly in the hopes that she will regain full function of her bladder and bowel. But in the meantime it only takes me a few minutes a day to express her bladder and to extract the feces from her bowel.
The ultimate goal with Noodle is for her to be able to use the litter box on her own at which time she has a forever home waiting for her. If she never regains this ability she will have a permanent home here with us at UOSAR.
Chi Chi
Chi chi the crooked cat as we lovingly call her was another owner surrender.
She was the only kitten born to her calico mom. The owners did not want her and they were going to take this tiny kitten to the pound.
Of course UOSAR intervened. Once she was safely in our care I noticed that she was walking very strangely so I immediately took her to the vet as I thought she may have been abused.
As it turned out, Chi Chi was born with multiple deformities including the absence of one shoulder blade. This created a kind of fusion of her front leg bone making it shorter than the other side. She has a very pronounced limp bit is otherwise a normal kitty in every way.
EXCEPT for one thing…she never grew in any top fangs. Because of this she has an underbite and sometimes looks like a little bulldog. We think it just makes her even cuter.
Chi Chi gets along just fine and enjoys her life at UOSAR.
She was the only kitten born to her calico mom. The owners did not want her and they were going to take this tiny kitten to the pound.
Of course UOSAR intervened. Once she was safely in our care I noticed that she was walking very strangely so I immediately took her to the vet as I thought she may have been abused.
As it turned out, Chi Chi was born with multiple deformities including the absence of one shoulder blade. This created a kind of fusion of her front leg bone making it shorter than the other side. She has a very pronounced limp bit is otherwise a normal kitty in every way.
EXCEPT for one thing…she never grew in any top fangs. Because of this she has an underbite and sometimes looks like a little bulldog. We think it just makes her even cuter.
Chi Chi gets along just fine and enjoys her life at UOSAR.
Sebastian
Sebastian came to UOSAR in June of 2019 when he was only nine weeks old as a medical Foster from another rescue organization called Stray Cat Alliance located in Los Angeles.
He was hit by a car and had severe hip fractures and damage to his tail which caused him to be 100% urine and fecal incontinent. Because of this I expressed his bladder multiple times per day and extracted his feces as well.
He also was not able to walk when he arrived. If I hadn’t taken him he was going to be euthanized at the vet.
Sebastian had a long road to recovery which included acupuncture and physical therapy and eventually the removal of his necrotic tail. All of these things and the fact that he was so young contributed to helping his own body to heal and allowing the nerves to reconnect and grow.
With a lot of love patience and Hardwork he eventually regained his ability to go to the bathroom on his own.
Sebastian is a permanent resident of UOSAR.
He was hit by a car and had severe hip fractures and damage to his tail which caused him to be 100% urine and fecal incontinent. Because of this I expressed his bladder multiple times per day and extracted his feces as well.
He also was not able to walk when he arrived. If I hadn’t taken him he was going to be euthanized at the vet.
Sebastian had a long road to recovery which included acupuncture and physical therapy and eventually the removal of his necrotic tail. All of these things and the fact that he was so young contributed to helping his own body to heal and allowing the nerves to reconnect and grow.
With a lot of love patience and Hardwork he eventually regained his ability to go to the bathroom on his own.
Sebastian is a permanent resident of UOSAR.
Jett
Jett the tripod kitty came to us as a foster from Stray Cat Alliance, another rescue in Los Angeles.
I actually picked up Jett and Beluga on the same day and they became fast friends. (Please see the video of “Belugas story” to see them play together.)
Jett was the unfortunate victim of an horrible accident. He was a stray kitten that was sleeping on top of a car engine when the owner of the car started the engine and Jett's leg was caught in the mechanism. This is a story you hear time and time again but with not such a happy ending. Jett is so lucky because someone found him in time and got him to the vet where they removed the remaining part of his leg that was severely damaged and in so doing saved his life.
He still had a bandage and stitches when I picked him up.
Jett is a sweet and gentle soul. He is my kitten wrangler to this day. He has such a sweet disposition that he gets to greet all the new arrivals that come to us.
Because of him Noodle has come along way at being social.
In case your wondering… Jett gets around on three legs just fine. This sweet boy has found his forever home and it is here with us at UOSAR.
I actually picked up Jett and Beluga on the same day and they became fast friends. (Please see the video of “Belugas story” to see them play together.)
Jett was the unfortunate victim of an horrible accident. He was a stray kitten that was sleeping on top of a car engine when the owner of the car started the engine and Jett's leg was caught in the mechanism. This is a story you hear time and time again but with not such a happy ending. Jett is so lucky because someone found him in time and got him to the vet where they removed the remaining part of his leg that was severely damaged and in so doing saved his life.
He still had a bandage and stitches when I picked him up.
Jett is a sweet and gentle soul. He is my kitten wrangler to this day. He has such a sweet disposition that he gets to greet all the new arrivals that come to us.
Because of him Noodle has come along way at being social.
In case your wondering… Jett gets around on three legs just fine. This sweet boy has found his forever home and it is here with us at UOSAR.
Rin
Rin has been part of UOSAR since it’s inception. She is a senior girl at 15 years old and has multiple medical issues.
Rin gets transdermal thyroid medication twice daily in her ears. And just like Dexter, Rin is prone to bladder stones. She is on the same diet as Dexter to help make sure she does not have any recurring stones. So far she has not had one in a few years.
Rin also has abnormal bone growths on her front legs which give her a limp when she walks.
The good news is that she does not seem to be in much if any pain. She still runs and plays in our large outdoor enclosure. The surgery to remove the growths is very invasive and the recovery time would be rough on an older kitty.
We have decided to forego the surgery for now and just continue to give her all the love, nutrition and medical support that she needs.
Rin gets transdermal thyroid medication twice daily in her ears. And just like Dexter, Rin is prone to bladder stones. She is on the same diet as Dexter to help make sure she does not have any recurring stones. So far she has not had one in a few years.
Rin also has abnormal bone growths on her front legs which give her a limp when she walks.
The good news is that she does not seem to be in much if any pain. She still runs and plays in our large outdoor enclosure. The surgery to remove the growths is very invasive and the recovery time would be rough on an older kitty.
We have decided to forego the surgery for now and just continue to give her all the love, nutrition and medical support that she needs.
Mercurius
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Mercurious or Merc for short is a long time resident of UOSAR. He is a 15 year old ginger tabby cat.
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