In February 2008 we took in PAULA, a long hair tortie with a somewhat sad background.  The people who loved, adored, and spoiled her for all of her life, were now elderly and forgetting to feed Paula!  She dropped to under 6 pounds and was pitifully thin.  Family was not able to care for Paula and brought her to us for her golden years.  She was already just over 16 1/2 years old, but a little spitfire!    Paula is making up for lost time at the food dish, but does not want to be handled by "strangers."  We are not pushing the issue, as she is so bony we recognize that she may be just plain uncomfortable.  She does not walk fully on the pads of her feet and prefers to be lying down in a soft place.  Paula has started a course of vitamins and Cosequin to help her tiny body feel better.  She has had some basic veterinary care, but the vet felt that further blood tests and vaccines need to wait until Paula's physical condition improves.  With time, patience, and a good supply of food, we expect that she will become more comfortable with her body, surroundings, and new owners.  I look forward to being able to hold her in my arms and hearing a contented purr.  Only then will I know that we have been able to replace some of what Paula has lost.

In August Paula was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and in early September went to a specialist two hours away to have a radioactive iodine treatment.  Although she was stiff and ached from being in a cage for 5 days during which time she was radioactive, Paula came home and started eating like a champ!  No more vomiting and diarrhea!  We were thrilled, and when Paula passed the seven pound mark we addressed the issue of her teeth.  She had difficulty eating due to very swollen gums.  One tooth was removed as was a spongy mass at the back of her mouth.  Within a week the mass grew back.  Again the mass was removed and a biopsy was done.  We did not even have time to receive the biopsy results before another problem cropped up.  Paula stopped using her back legs and was rushed back to the vets.  It was a pinched nerve in her back!  The vet gave her a steroid shot and told us if it was going to work, it would work within 12-48 hours.  Unfortunately it did not work, and over the weekend Paula received a final chin and head scratch from a loving vet before she was put down.  She purred and purred, and Dr. Wyatt said it was as if Paula "knew."  If you think vets get used to putting down animals, you should have heard Dr. Wyatt's voice when she told me the news.  Paula had become a favorite for her, too.  Her time with us was relatively short, but I wouldn't want to have missed seeing our little spitfire become a sweetheart.  Goodbye, my love.