When Cat Sanctuary met Bonjeck, a stray cat who was six years old, he was in a really bad situation and needed immediate help.
Bonjeck came to the sanctuary looking dirty, with his lower body covered in feces. He was also experiencing chronic diarrhea, which caused him to lose a lot of weight and become very thin.
On top of all that, he had cat flu and tested positive for FIV, a virus that he probably caught from fighting with other male cats who hadn’t been neutered while he was living on the streets.
However, it wasn’t clear why Bonjeck had so many problems, which made his treatment plan complicated and possibly expensive.
The sanctuary got right to work by neutering Bonjeck and giving him a thorough cleaning while he was asleep.
They also started him on antibiotics for his cat flu and a special diet that was easy for him to digest, to help with his ongoing diarrhea.
These initial tests and treatments, along with the special food, added up quickly. They needed to do more blood tests to figure out what to do next.
They also knew they would need to do an ultrasound of Bonjeck’s abdomen and they would have to pay extra for a specialist to evaluate the results.
Since Bonjeck understandably didn’t trust people after what he went through, they would’ve to sedate him for each procedure, which would make the overall cost even higher. The sanctuary estimated that Bonjeck’s care would cost at least $1,000.
Although his future was uncertain, the sanctuary knew that they were starting a long journey, both for their veterinary team and their dedicated volunteers.
The volunteers faced the challenge of keeping Bonjeck and his surroundings clean since his chronic diarrhea made him unfamiliar with using a litter box.
Still, the sanctuary remained determined to do everything it could to help Bonjeck heal. Their ultimate aim was to find him a forever home filled with love.
Luckily, thanks to the kindness of their supporters, they were able to cover the initial medical treatments and make Bonjeck more comfortable.
The antibiotics successfully reduced his cat flu symptoms, and his shaved (although admittedly silly-looking) lower half was finally clean.
After the tests were finished, they discovered that Bonjeck’s digestive tract was inflamed. The vets gave him medicine to help with his diarrhea and to make his stool more consistent.
He also had to get B12 shots every day and eat special food for his stomach. These things made him feel better and he finally stopped losing weight.
But there was still some inflammation left, and his FIV made it harder for him to get completely better. FIV can make a cat’s immune system weaker, especially if they used to be a stray and had a tough life.
Besides his physical needs, Bonjeck was also getting better emotionally. He used to be scared of people, but now he was starting to trust humans again.
The volunteers at the sanctuary were really nice to him and helped him feel safe. They believed that with more love and kindness, Bonjeck would become a completely different cat, both on the inside and the outside.
His recovery was uncertain, but he had made good progress despite facing more months of rehabilitation.
The sanctuary was sure he was much happier now than when he first came there scared, dirty, and hungry. They promised to always provide a safe place for him.
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