Dr. Jessica Thompson

Not every story has a happy ending. This is Bolt.

Bolt was a 6 month old kitten who was deeply loved by his family. Unfortunately, they were struggling financially and couldn’t afford veterinary care. After three days of Bolt being sick and not eating, they reached out to our clinic, desperate for help after being unable to find anyone who could see him. Of course, I told them to bring him in.

I was expecting something like a linear foreign body or pancreatitis. What I wasn’t expecting was what we found in such a young kitten.

Bolt arrived extremely lethargic, dehydrated, and in significant respiratory distress. Our team immediately jumped into action, preparing to place an IV catheter and stabilize him.

I’m sharing this video for an important reason. I want you to recognize what respiratory distress looks like in a cat. If you ever see your cat breathing like this, it is a life threatening emergency that requires immediate veterinary attention.

Unfortunately, Bolt’s X-rays were consistent with congestive heart failure, most likely caused by an underlying congenital or hereditary heart condition such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. At just 6 months old, his little heart was failing him.

Given how critically ill he was and his poor prognosis, the kindest thing we could do was end his suffering.

So we held his paw, gave him gentle pets and head scratches, and told him over and over how loved he was as we helped him peacefully pass.

Bolt’s family loved him. They wanted to help him.

I wish we could have given Bolt a different ending. But I’m grateful that in his final moments, he was surrounded by kindness, compassion, and love.

Update on our little survivor! Chicken Wing had his stubby leg amputated this week. If you don’t remember he was a stray brought into an ER and instead of euthanasia they called me. He was anemic and had an old injury to both his chin and front right leg. He was underweight but had the will to live. We plumped him up, his body made more rbc’s and now he’s healing up before adoption day! Thank you Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Tualatin for saving him and calling me.

Kitten bath for brother. Intake bath to get rid of fleas and dirt and f***s when starting their new life with the rescue.

Figuring out churu treats in the kitten room.

Flea baby gets a little bath on intake. If you’re new here, kittens need baths when coming into rescue to get them clean and get rid of the fleas. There a lots of other things we do like flea control, deworming and vaccines in intake as well. This nugget is too young for vaccines though. He is part of a trio and was found abandoned in a box with his siblings.

After a weekend of tube feeding Samara I’m so happy that she is taking the bottle again. I think it was all an upset stomach but we have treated that and she’s doing great.

This tiny nugget made it all the way from eastern Oregon to start a new life with us. She pooped all over herself on the ride over so step 1 is a bath. The partner rescue said she was found in a mobile home park crying for 2 days and they never saw a mom come back.

Sometimes a little neonate needs a bigggggg brother.

Also if you’re curious how Toyota and Mercedes are doing?! Thriving!!!! Soon spay and neuter then adoption.