Reba came into our cat program after being found in a nearby dump suffering from an upper respiratory infection. She was extremely shy, but with time, patience, and lots of love she blossomed into a playful, loving cat. She and her sister, Remy, became familiar faces in our rescue partner Tally Cat Cafe‘s cat room, where they waited for their forever home and charmed everyone they met.
The only thing that never seemed to improve was Reba’s health, as she was seemingly always battling an ear or upper respiratory infection. Treatment helped, but never seemed to fully clear up the issue, making it clear something else was going on.
After a visit to our veterinary partner, Paws & Claws Veterinary Hospital, we finally got an answer. Reba had a deep middle ear polyp; a typically benign growth that can cause chronic ear infections in cats. We believe that the polyp developed from all her time being sick as a kitten, and this hidden growth is the cause of Reba’s recurring ear infections.
Following her diagnosis, we took her to Capital Veterinary Specialists – Tallahassee (CVS) for a CT scan to see if she had any more growths, and after the scan, it was confirmed it was just the one. The amazing team at CVS was able to fit her into their surgery schedule that same-day to remove the polyp. After surgery, her foster mother reported that she returned home in much better spirits: it was obvious that she was feeling a much-needed relief now that the growth was gone, and was energetic and loving.
With the growth gone, she now has the chance to live a comfortable, pain-free life, and one where we hope that her chronic battle with infections is over.
Stories like Reba’s remind us why rescue matters, and why we never give up on any animal in our care. Had she never been rescued from that dump, there’s no telling how long she would have continued to suffer or what her quality of life would have been.
We are incredibly grateful to both Paws and Claws Veterinary Hospital and Capital Veterinary Specialists for the exceptional care they provided to Reba. Not only did the team at CVS help improve Reba’s life, they also gave us a discount on the surgery, which allows us to continue providing care to cats just like her.
Along with our generous, caring, and talented veterinary partners, it’s your continued support that allows us to provide care and give animals in our program a better quality of life. With your support, we rescue them from all situations and stop at nothing to give them not what they just need to survive; but to thrive. Consider making a donation to support Reba and future animals at www.leoncountyhumane.org/donate
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