Dec 20, 2021

It was a regular day at the shelter until evening came and the staff went to lock the Maddie’s® Cat Adoption Center’s doors.

Right outside, there was a cat carrier sitting alone with nothing but a note. As the carrier was shaking violently, a staff member went closer to see what was scribbled across the napkin. It read, “Dog flea treatment. Poisonous. Seizures.” As she looked into the carrier she could see two tabby cats in crisis.

The cats, later named Jingle and Jangle for the holiday season, were rushed to the clinic. The staff said they had never seen anything like it. They were convulsing uncontrollably and nothing was seeming to stop the seizing. Clinic staff spent hours trying various methods until finally at 4 a.m., they were able to stabilize the cats by putting them in a medically induced coma.

Flea medicine if used incorrectly can be deadly. Jingle and Jangle’s nervous systems were shutting down because their bodies couldn’t handle the dose. The clinic knew if they could get them stabilized after around 72 hours, they would have a good chance at recovering when the medicine worked its way out of their system.

Miraculously, a day later you would never recognize that these were the same cats that were left to fend for themselves, seizing uncontrollably. Once the flea medicine got through their system they returned to their perfectly playful selves. The siblings were soon adopted out together and now are named Blue and Penelope.

Their mom, Pattie had nothing but ‘purrfect’ things to say about the siblings. “Penelope loves naps on beds and chairs. Her favorite spot is getting on top of the refrigerator. She is a purr machine when she gets love. Blue is such a house cat. He will lay around all day long anywhere; on the floor, by the window, on a box just anywhere. He loves cuddles and is a chatterbox. They sleep, play, eat together and groom each other all day long,” Pattie said.

Blue and Penelope’s lives could have ended up so much differently if you didn’t support the work APA! does. Our clinic staff feels your support behind them every step of the way. Lost or stray animals usually go to the city shelter, but because of you, they didn’t think twice about staying until the early morning hours if it meant these lives were saved.Together with you, we can continue to lift the spirits of pets and humans alike as we all strive to save the ones that are left behind.

Source: Austin Pets Alive