High Desert Humane Society Cat Rescue

A Christmas Miracle

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Buttercup was brought to us on a Saturday shortly before closing time.  She was surrendered to us two plus months ago and is now ready for her furrever home.  When she came to us, she had already been struggling with life.  The world had not been a good place for her, and she was on her last leg.  She was found in the middle of a street in which she was almost run over but saved by a wonderful couple who stopped and picked her up.  The woman told me that she knew nothing about cats but wanted to help this poor little soul.  She asked us if we would take her in and so we did.  Buttercup was dirty and frail, but was still breathing. She was skin, and bones and one could count every tiny rib. Her eyes were sealed shut and swollen, her breathing was labored. She looked like there was not much time left for her in this cruel world that did not want her anymore.

I was not sure if she would even make it until I could care for our other critters and get her home with me.  On the way home I stopped at the store to pick up some kitten formula and baby food so I could have the things she needed to continue with her struggle.  Buttercup was so close to the end of the line that she showed no interest in trying to eat, so I decided to prepare some chicken broth for her.  She did not want that either, so I wrapped her up in a blanket with her little head piercing out and forced fed her the broth with a syringe.  She took it. I had little hope she would live through the night but she did. This was a miracle. 

She ate the chicken broth for two days and then I switched her to the kitten formula with the same feeding method; wrapped in a blanket and a syringe.  After a several days of this she started to show signs of wanting to eat the formula, but still did so with the syringe, so I got a larger one to give her more with each feeding. Buttercup enjoyed being wrapped up in the blanket during feedings, so I began to call her Burrito. She looked like a little white burrito with her eyes still closed and struggling for life. Every morning when I went into my kitchen, I did not hear anything and worried she had passed, but every morning she was still breathing and getting stronger. 

Still being weak and frail, Buttercup now started to add baby food to her diet and was putting on weight.  Four weeks had passed, and I was hoping to get her to the veterinarian for her first shots.  Because her immune system was so poor due to her initial diet and beginning, she then developed ring worm.  It came on so fast, one day she had nothing and was looking like everything was going to be okay and then…not.  I had to keep Buttercup separated from all the other cats, including mine at home so she was always by herself.  She was eating well, had a good appetite and getting stronger every day but I could not get her shots and get her ready for adoption until she was in good health. She finally reached a stage of her ring worm were with great cautious steps I was able to get her into the veterinarian for shot and an exam.  Her ring worm is almost gone and she is looking good and ready for a good home.

Buttercup is loved by all the volunteers who held her and kept her warm; loved and cherished her through this time in her life.  If I had not had them to overlook her issues and care for her while she was at the Cat Rescue waiting to get better, I don’t know if the turn out would have been this good.  She is truly a Christmas Miracle and is now ready to go home. She currently still goes home with me every night so she can socialize with other cats, dogs and is doing very well.  She loves to play with them and is very pleasant at feeding time with them.  She loves to sit on a lap while watching TV or in the morning coffee time.  She loves being wrapped up in a blanket to this day.

Whoever adopts this sweet buttercup will have a wonderful and loving companion for the duration of her life.  We are not sure how old Buttercup is but estimate she was three weeks old when found and has been in our care for 10 weeks now.  She is a bit smaller then most kittens her age, but as she continues to get stronger she may surprise us all.  I so much would love to add her to my family, but I believe she needs someone who can devote more time with her.  She deserve to have all the attention she can get and with my responsibilities to the HDHS Cat Rescue I unfortunately can not give that to her.  Buttercup is very special and she is our Christmas Miracle.

Interested in Buttercup or any of our otter wonderful cats and kittens, please stop by Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. At this time, we are NO LONGER accepting any surrenders because we are at full capacity.   Thank you for your continuous support as a community.

Cheryle Mariscal,

Director of HDHS Cat Rescue