Oooh, Kismet's story is one of my favorites! Where do I start with this one...

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So one day in the middle of June, I was contacted by my friend who feeds a number of colonies five days a week in White Plains. He alerted me of a super senior cat in dire need of help. He said that he had been feeding this cat for over 16 years in this one location. My friend had noticed that this cats appetite started to rapidly decline over the course of about a week and once he was able to get a closer look, he noticed that the cat was in fact, badly injured. He started having difficulty walking and getting around, and was very clearly attacked by something (most likely the sassy juvenile raccoon that lives there who hadn't learned to play nice just yet). 

 

That day I rushed over to the location at the tire place where the cat lived, and I so vividly remember that day. I had no idea how I was really going to catch this cat that had been feral and living outside for over 16 years, but we went there with every cat catching device we had! I first spotted him in a black hut sleeping, and the second he saw me, he hopped right out of there before I could do much of anything. Although he was very injured, he was quick! That's fight or flight for ya! After a bit of following, my dad and I were able to spot him underneath a children's toy car against the back of a building in someone's back lot. I had a huge net with me, that I had honestly never used before in cat rescue, but I was desperate! My dad and I managed to shoo him out from underneath that, and he ran over to a bunch of parked cars and popped underneath the center of one. I asked my dad to shoo him my way, and the second he did, Kismet made a run for it! I darted off behind him and went for it with the net! The net is quite small and attached to a skinny, 5 foot long metal pole. Don't ask me how, but I got him in my net! I hopped around the net with my feet so Kismet couldn't get out. He quickly transferred him into a carrier and he was safe! I can't quite tell you what a relief that was!

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It was a Sunday that I caught Kismet. My vet hospital was closed, but I was able to contact my boss and grab some pain meds and antibiotics for Kismet until he could be seen the following day. I didn't know the extent of his injuries at the time, and was wanting to quickly manage any pain and infection. I saw some bits of blood in his carrier and dried blood on his tail, but with him being feral, there was not much I could do with him awake. He was stable and his breathing was fine, so that was great news right off the bat. My friend had said that he hadn't eaten in a week, and when I offered him food after his rescue, he was completely disinterested.

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The following day I brought him to work with me, and we were able to give him a sedative to explore to the extent of his injuries. They were so much worse than I had thought. His left hind leg was triple the size of his other legs, and a tendon was hanging out. He had cuts and wounds all over, but the worst of it all was hard to witness. His penis was literally dangling and hanging onto his body from the smallest piece of skin. It was almost torn completely off.

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My boss admitted that even with surgery, there was no guarantee that she had enough tissue to help put him back together. She said that he may not be able to urinate or defecate on his own ever again. Without hesitation, I asked her to do the surgery. I raised the money for surgery, and we went ahead the following day after his blood results were clean. It was a long surgery, with a lot of delicate precision and fingers crossed. Surgery was finished, and now it was going to be a waiting game to see if it worked and if he could urinate and defecate on his own!

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Well, Kismet decided that he was ready for a new lease on life. Only an hour post-op, I offered him a meal of wet food and he was chowing down! Within the next 24 hours, he successfully urinated and defecated on his own! I was beyond overjoyed! After a week at the vet hospital post-op, it was time to take Kismet home to continue his recovery. He spent six weeks in a crate in my living room, just healing and decompressing. Kismet's demeanor was always cautious, but never did he lunge at me or throw too large a fit. He had a low growl that he would sometimes do when he was nervous or very uncomfortable, but that was the extent of it. My cat Lennox would visit him often, and just sit a few inches from him to say hi. They would touch noses and seemed to really get along.

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When Kismet's healing was finally nearing an end, I started reaching in and petting him while he ate his meals. He was nervous at first, but eventually started to enjoy it. I discovered his love for the feather toy on a stick, and that was a bit of a gamechanger. He and Lennox would both sit there and bop the toy back and forth to each other and was beyond adorable! It was obvious how much he loved other cats. I started slowly keeping the crate door propped more and more open each day while I was petting him, and one day he decided to come out and explore! From there on out, he decided he wanted to spend the rest of his days inside!!!

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Today, Kismet spend his days sunbathing on my bed (specifically on my pillow), or on the radiator cover enjoying the heat. He and Lennox have a very special bond, and they spend a good amount of time with Lennox grooming Kismet every morning. He has become so affectionate, that all he wants all day long, is for me to kiss him. He pushes his head into me, and starts his louder than life purrs, asking to me loved on at all times. He knows his name and comes when he's called. He also made buddies with my other male cat, Cole. Cole is very shy, but Kismet is so unintimidating, that the two of them have really hit it off. They spend a lot of time together napping on my bed during the day. 

 

Kismet's story touches my heart in ways I didn't know were possible. His rescue and surgery would not have been possible if it weren't for the amazing supports who donated to help save him. Asking my supporters to donate to a large emergency surgery vet bill for a cat who is at least 18 years old, and whose surgery may not be successful, is a lot to ask. My rescue's amazing supporters donated enough to cover his entire vet bill in just three days.

 

Just three days. It really does take a village!

 

And Kismet couldn't be more grateful. He has a whole new lease on life since his accident, and now my fur babies and I get to be a part of it. He's happy, and safe, and content here, and I can't imagine my life without him now. I can say with certainty, that he will spend the rest of his life here, playing with all the toys, sleeping in bed with me every night, and getting all the love he  could ever want.

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Welcome to the good life, Kismet <3