Louie and his two litter mates were brought to our Reno Shelter by a good Samaritan who found them just minutes after they were born, alone and abandoned in September of 2020. Kittens this young need round-the-clock care, and I have a special room in my house just for high-risk foster pets who are too young, or too sick to be in the general shelter environment –so I took them home to make sure they got the care they needed.
All of Louie’s litter mates grew into happy, healthy kittens. Little Louie was struggling from the start; I just knew in my heart he needed extra love and care to develop into a happy, healthy cat. Our Veterinary Clinic Team performed multiple tests on little Louie who struggled to eat, grow and keep weight on and determined that he was born with liver deformities. His liver issues eventually caused him to have seizures and our team knew we had to reach out to our partners at Sierra Veterinary Services for a specialized surgery to save his life.
“When this tiny kitten first arrived in our Clinic it was clear to see he was struggling to survive. His situation was unusual and it’s cases like these where donor dollars are so important, as this funding allows us to partner with other Veterinary specialists in our area who can help us save tiny lives like this one.” –Dr. Katie Matzke, NHS Veterinarian.
If it wasn’t for our dedicated Clinic Team and our ability to seek the help of other veterinary specialists as needed, kittens like Louie simply wouldn’t be here today. I am very grateful that I was able to
play a role in his recovery and help save his life. Shortly after his surgery he was a completely different cat! He suddenly had energy, was playful and started gaining weight. Just a few short weeks later, Louie was ready to find his very own Forever Home.
I happened to be working the day his adopter came into the shelter. She had seen his story on our Facebook page and wanted to learn more about him. As soon as I saw them together I knew it was a perfect match! I told her all about him and the rest is history.
“I’m beyond words in how happy I am that I was able to adopt Louie. He runs to me anytime I call him and has made us so happy. Louie has been the missing puzzle piece for our family. I don’t believe I have ever felt bonded to a kitty like I do with him. I affectionately call him my buddy sometimes because that’s what it feels like.” – Brianna, Louie’s Adopter.
We are so happy that Louie was able to find his forever home, and we’re sure he feels just as lucky! To see all the amazing work that our foster volunteers do, or how you can help the program, visit our Foster Page.
By: Carley Bloomer, Foster Coordinator