From Rags to Riches - Rescuing Sergei from the Phoenix Heat
Sergei was in bad shape when he started coming around our home. He was impossible to catch until a very hot day this summer. He got so desperate that I was able to get him to come inside the house by leaving the backdoor open with some full food bowls and water just inside. I hid behind the door until he started munching and then slowly closed it. I hated scaring him like that, but I knew if I didn't he may not survive another day or week. That's how bad he looked. And believe me, I've seen bad when it comes to strays. :(
He always had house-flies swarming him and this grotesque 3-inch layer of matts (no joke!). I would get as close as I could to make sure he wasn't infected or had maggots (yea, gross, but we lost a friendly feral March 2020 to just that, maggot infestation. It was extremely horrifying and heartbreaking - I really haven't shared that until now to be honest.) - But I always wondered if Sergei didn't get infested because the larvae couldn't get down to his skin due to the shield of matts.
Anyway, it really only took him one evening inside and he was hooked at being an Indoorian. He would run from us, but even when he was frightened, if he ran past a food bowl, he would stop to eat. This was pretty hilarious and it also helped me grab him so I could get the matts off and then give him a bath. He was the filthiest cat I have ever seen, which if you know cats, you know that means something bad is going on with their health and usually it means gum infection, which he has. Our next step to him being a healthier happier cat is getting his teeth cleaned, which now he has likely gained enough weight to receive anesthesia and undergo surgery.
But I wanted to share this sad yet comical cartoon my daughter drew of Sergei before he was rescued. This was literally him - grumpy, dirty old cat swarming with flies. So thank you for your continued support. A $5 dollar donation goes a long way if we get our friends to do the same. Please share and support! It means so much and I am eternally grateful for it.