Friday, March 19, Tenth Life received a call that there was a kitty in nearby Arnold, MO who had suffered some sort of trauma and needed medical help. The woman had been feeding this sweet grey cat for 2 to 3 weeks and noticed a "gash" on her jaw, abcessed teeth, and a misaligned lower jaw. This sounded like a cat that Tenth Life was created for, so I told the woman we would take her. Meet miss Ida B.

A kind volunteer picked her up and took her to the vet, where she remained all weekend. Yesterday, we got the report. See her askew jaw? That would be her broken jaw. Why, you ask, is it broken? Some heartless person shot this sweet kitty IN THE FACE. Pieces of the bullet were found in her jaw. Miraculously, the cat is alive and eating despite the horrific pain she´s been in for over two weeks.

So, after receiving basic care (vaccines, flea prevention, de−worming, etc.), Ida B. was taken, this morning, to a specialist where she is undergoing some very serious surgery. It turns out that her bone is not only infected, but also necrotic (or dead). It seems very likely that she will need a sizable portion of her jaw removed. We´re also anticipating that this poor kitty´s jaws will be wired shut and she´ll be enduring a feeding tube for the foreseeable future. However, once she makes it through the recovery period, her chances at a happy, healthy life are really good!

This surgery, which would normally cost upwards of $3,000 is being given to Tenth Life for the very generous discounted fee of about $1,000 (estimate). I want to give a BIG thank-you to the Associated Veterinary Specialists in Bridgeton, MO for their kindness and generosity! Despite this discount, we still need help covering this painfully sweet cat´s procedure costs. If you can´t donate, PLEASE cross post this little blurb. share it on FB, your blog, Twitter, wherever. Even if people can´t donate, they can see what disgusting acts of cruelty people perform on helpless animals, and why we should all stand up for the voiceless creatures of the world.

UPDATE MARCH 25

Ida underwent major surgery on Tuesday, having a sizable piece of her jaw removed, multiple badly damaged teeth extracted, and had her open facial wound covered with a flap of extra skin.

Needless to say, she is in rough shape, as you can see from her photo. In order for her jaw to remain stabilized, and to heal properly, the dental surgeon fused her canine teeth together, basically wiring her mouth shut. There is a small space between her top and bottom teeth, so she can drink and eat if she desires, but currently her mouth is so sore, all she does is drool out of this space. She shows a great deal of interest in eating, but when she actually takes a lick, she recoils in pain, which is perhaps the most heartbreaking thing in all of this.

Because she can not eat normally, Ida B. has what´s called a PEG tube − a feeding tube leading directly into her stomach. She has to be syringe−fed nutrient−dense soft food through her tube four times daily, over the course of a half hour each feeding so that she does not get nauseous and vomit. Ida is also receiving antibiotics twice daily through her tube to fight off infection. The little sweater you see on her in the photo helps the tube stay safely against her body and prevents her from interfering with it.

Despite all this, Ida B. is still as sweet as she can be. She happily sits on my lap, purring, as I feed her through her tube. She is so good natured and such a fighter that the veterinarian gives her a good prognosis at recovery and a normal life. Eventually.

Please share this post with as many people as you can. Ida B´s surgery cost Tenth Life over $1,000, and her continuing care will add at least another $500 to the expense of saving her life. Any amount, no matter how small, can help.