So I got a call from my rescue friend about a cat in New Rochelle who was part of a colony in a woman's backyard, who had been there being fed for 8 years. The woman was elderly, and had been graciously feeding these cats for a long time. The woman had a stroke and became wheelchair bound, now making her unable to feed the stray cats. The colony dispersed in search of other food sources when they realized that they were no longer getting food there. Well, all cats except Winter. My buddy called to ask for help for this black and white cat that was still lingering around the area of the house, waiting and crying for food....food that was not coming. It broke my heart to hear.

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It was the night before the first snowstorm of Winter, in the latter of 2019. I went with my rescue friend to the woman's property with the intention of rescuing this cat needing help. Easily enough, I popped open a can of food and waited about five minutes before miss Winter showed up to eat! After a few minutes of trying to get some pets in while she was eating, I was able to scruff her and get her safely into a carrier!

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While I was super excited that she was safe, her journey was far from over. Her getting medical care was priority, after living outside for her entire 8.5 years. And boy did she need medical care! My girl tested positive for FIV, which is an immune-suppressing disease, her chest x-rays showed concerning shading by her heart, she had a heart murmer, she had a BB in her side, and she had maybe 6 teeth in her mouth that were almost all rotten. First order of business was to get bloodwork and an ultrasound done with a specialist to see what the shading was by her heart on radiographs. Lucky enough, ultrasound confirmed that the shading by her heart was just lung tissue, and of no concern! Also, her heart checked out fine in terms of the heart murmer, and there was no need for her to be on any medication. Next on the Winter to-do list was address her teeth by doing a dentistry. She ended up losing a couple of teeth, and was left with 2 healthy ones! The location of the BB from her radiographs confirmed that there was no need to do anything surgically to remove it, as it was not considered to be causing any pain or discomfort. My sweet girl had the works done, and she deserved every bit of care!

 

Throughout the rescue and all of the medical care afterwards, Winter could not have been sweeter! 

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Winter went into a foster home a few months after her rescue. Sadly, a few days into her foster home, the foster left a door open and Winter had gotten out. This was in the month of February, and it was 18 degrees out. Needless to say, I had the worst 6 days of my entire life after that mishap. I pulled 5 all-nighters, set multiple traps, set up her big crate from home with tarps, hundreds of flyers posted everywhere. To call it a nightmare is the understatement of the century. Finally, on the sixth day, I got a phone call from someone in the complex who saw my flyers, saying that they thought they saw her. I rushed over there, and was able to spot her. After about 2 hours of sitting in the mud in the pouting rain, coaxing her with her favorite Cheetos, I was able to grab her. It was such an emotional moment.

 

 Just to continue with Winter's luck, she picked up ringworm in the 6 days she was outside. This wouldn't be such a big deal ordinarily, but Winter was immune suppressed. It took this poor cat 11.5 whole months of medications, weekly bath treatments, visits to the dermatologist, and complete quarantine, to overcome this. This sweet girl needed to catch a break. 

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A break she was finally given!

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A lovely woman had seen one of my rescue posts on Facebook, and mentioned that her sister was looking to adopt a cat. She put us in contact with one another, and I just adored this woman! She expressed interest in a younger cat from my website, but as she was explaining her home, her lifestyle, and what personality she was looking for in a cat, I just knew her and Winter would be perfect for each other! 

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Fast forward a week, and the woman came to meet Winter and FELL IN LOVE! An actual match made in heaven if you ask me! She was completely smitten, and made the decision instantly that she wanted to adopt her! Winer lives the life now. She has a home to call her very own. She has a mom that simply adores her. She's waited 10 whole years for what she has now, but she finally has it! I cry every time I think about how long she's waited, and how much she's been through to get to where she is. 

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She'll forever enjoy face bumps and Cheetos with her mom, and I couldn't ask for anything more for this absolutely amazing girl!