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Linus and Wooly are enjoying a quiet moment at the Thundering Paws Sanctuary.
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I’ve never said this before publicly, but we're in bad shape financially! The worst part is that we owe our vets tons of money.
Here's why:
1. George Martin managed a spayed/neutered community cat colony from his travel trailer home. In February, his home burned to the ground. No beings were hurt, but since George has nowhere to live except with an allergic relative, we took his six cats. All needed lots of vet work. Two have been adopted, and maybe a third who is fostered. Still at Thundering Paws are Wooly Bear who needs ongoing medication for a possible intestinal lymphoma: Bob, recovering from FIP; and, Linus, with compromised hearing.
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Bob loves the catio at the Sanctuary.
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Patrick and Piper tested positive for FeLV.
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Pickle had been exposed to FeLV but has tested negative.
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2. From a severe hoarding situation, we took eight kittens. Three have feline leukemia and a fourth has been exposed. She is separated from the others now and negative so far. Another FeLV+ kitty boy came from Dripping Springs. He and one of the FeLV+ kittens from the hoarding situation have been adopted by a lady who has a 14-year-old FeLV+ kitty!
Three, including the exposed one, are fostered. All have required multiple vet visits as they all have had other issues. The hoarding situation was in the filthiest yard I've ever seen! The house was unspeakably squalid, with a hole in the roof through which cats go in and out. We weren't allowed access inside.
Cooperating with another TNR team, we helped the cats we could. We have stopped taking any more kitties from this situation. It's heartbreaking. We are working on getting it turned over to authorities.
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The moment we’ve all been waiting for—Pixel is walking!!
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3. Before the hoarding situation came to our attention, we took a six-month-old kitten named Pixel with two broken femurs out of San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter. Her only option if she was not taken by a rescue was euthanasia. When they contacted us, it had already been at least ten days after her injury. I knew that those breaks had to be addressed ASAP if she was ever going to walk again. The most wonderful news is that, after three operations, she is now walking and learning to jump.
Her first two surgeries were done by a wonderful vet who had worked at the Houston Humane Society. We trust him to do anything! However, after the second surgery didn’t work, we took Pixel to Dr. Kirk Lewis of Veterinary Surgical Solutions. He and her foster mom, a licensed vet tech, have Pixel walking again.
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Tina gives us her sweetest look.
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Luigi loves a good snuggle and carry.
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4. FIP treatments: Scott is treating the third FIP+ cat to come to us. “GS," in injectable or pill form, is a treatment for FIP. It is not yet approved in the United States. For more information, see FIP Warriors on Facebook.
Tina was eight months old when Scott began her treatment, which lasted almost five months. Now three years old, she's healthy and adores her daddy, Scott. Bob, one of George Martin's cats, was the second cat Scott successfully treated for this puzzling disease. An old kitty when he was diagnosed, Bob is being closely monitored. Scott’s third FIP+ cat, Luigi, is doing well.
Since the injectable form is significantly less expensive than the oral form, that’s what we use. However, it is wearing on the cat and, here in the middle of the third series of injections in less than three years, on Scott. We have ordered a small number of pills to see if Luigi will take them. He adores Churu treats so hopefully he will eat his pills cleverly disguised in a Churu.
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Patchy Boy back in May when he first came to Thundering Paws.
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5. Patchy Boy: We will always take back a cat we've adopted out. When his adopter called to ask us to take back Patchy Boy, she was crying, so of course, I asked questions. His bladder was blocked. They had taken him to the ER, who at least relieved him of some urine, but told them it would cost upwards of $3,000. They couldn't pay that so they hoped to return him to us. I asked, "What if we pay to get him the surgery done but you keep him?" She started crying again but this time with happy tears.
If we'd had taken him back, we'd have had to pay for the surgery anyway, and then find him another home. That seems rather silly if he already has people who love him.
With Pixel’s experience behind us, we engaged a very skilled veterinarian to do the surgery. Patchy Boy is back with his people, able to urinate without problems.
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Vee started out at Thundering Paws but now has a forever home.
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Every one of the cats we’ve listed here wants to live! They show us with their purrs, snuggles, and head butts. I believe that some of the animals know we’re here to help. Some know we’re their last resort. While we are small and cannot save huge numbers of cats, we have an amazing track record with those we take.
Having far exceeded our goal at Amplify Austin, we now know how much work it takes and we can do very well at #GivingTuesday, the week after Thanksgiving. However, we will need about $20,000 to make it until then. Then we will be into the end-of-the-year giving during which time we receive an abundance from you generous donors.
Everyone likes to give to a winning cause. Never think that Thundering Paws is anything other than that! For 21 years, through heat and snow and dreadful droughts, we have saved thousands of cats and many other animals, including wildlife. In the midst of massive development in Hays County, we are a tiny tree sanctuary. We keep out water for deer, opossums, armadillos, raccoons, squirrels, and birds.
We need your financial help like never before, and we’ll breathe such a sigh of relief when we get our excellent veterinarians paid off! 
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Thank you for everything you do for us and for animals.
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