12 Saves of Christmas – Camilla – FieldHaven’s Heartwarming Save #9
12 Saves of Christmas – FieldHaven’s Heartwarming Save #9: Camilla
Each day, we will share one of FieldHaven’s 12 most heartwarming cat saves of 2020. Each happy story was made possible through your generosity!
Just as the impact of the pandemic was becoming clear to all of us in late March, we got a call from a rescuer in a nearby county asking if we would take in a cat named Camilla.
Here is the description of the Camilla: “She is a disgusting mess, poor thing! Infection, pus, drool. We bathe her and she is filthy again the next day.”
Though FieldHaven was largely shut down due to recent government restrictions and we were in no position to rescue a cat with major medical needs, we knew this cat was in dire need of help and sometimes we just have to follow our hearts.
Camilla had a mouth infection that was not responding to treatment for nearly a year. Now, Camilla’s owner was out of work due to the pandemic and decided she could no longer keep her. She considered having Camilla euthanized, but reached out for help from a local rescuer partner.
When she arrived at FieldHaven, she was clearly in pain and smelled horridly. The prognosis was grim. Camilla would need extensive dental surgery to remove all her teeth as a first step if there was any chance of ridding her of the infection that was slowly killing her. With veterinary clinics either closed or only taking limited appointments while COVID restrictions were still being sorted out, scheduling an appointment for surgery was a challenge.
We could see a spark in Camilla – she had not given up and we would not give up on her!
Old Towne Animal Hospital in Fair Oaks worked Camilla into their tight schedule. We did our best to keep Camilla comfortable while she waited. Once the surgery was done, Donna, one of our best medical foster caregivers, took Camilla in to provide the post-operative care she needed – medications and TLC. Over the next several months, Donna ensured that Camilla’s got her medications.
Each day Camilla was slowly improving; she was feeling and looking better. Her personality blossomed! When she was finally ready for adoption, Donna began posting adorable Camilla-grams of their adventures in her house.
Cassie spotted Camilla online and just five days before Christmas, and Camilla got the home she’s been waiting nine long months for!
Camilla’s surgery was sponsored by one of our donors, Deb Selbert, and your support enabled us to cover Camilla’s other expenses for the months until she was finally adopted.
Camilla’s adoption was sponsored by Connected Technology, which sponsors one cat adoption each month. Learn more about them here.
Your generous donations enabled us to be here for special needs cats like Camilla, who need care for a prolonged period before they are ready to be adopted. YOU make our work for the cats possible!
Thank you so much for your wonderful, lifesaving support!
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