Rusty
Sponsored by Lynn - Thank you!
Sponsored by Susan - Thank you!
Sponsored by Setsuko - Thank you!
Sponsored by Catherine - Thank you!
A week after he arrived, starting to look better
A few weeks after arriving. Enjoying the a/c plenty of food and soft beds. Sores are healing
hair is growing in.
Sponsored by Bhavana - Thank you!
Sponsored by Ione- Thank you!
Sponsored by Donald - Thank you!
Sponsored by Shelly - Thank you!
Looks so different now that he is being taken care of.
Approximate Age (As of 2017): 2 years
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Status: FIV+
Date Arrived: June 2015
Arrival Location: North Carolina
Rusty was found on Blind Cat Rescue’s property. We have a few (spayed/neutered and vaccinated)
indoor/outdoor yard cats and Rusty was discovered at one of the food bowls outside. We attempted
to catch him but he ran off into the woods. We kept an eye out and later he came back to the food
bowls. We tried to catch him again and we were successful. After he was less frightened he let us
pet him and discovered he was in fact friendly (just scared). We put him into quarantine for the
night with food, water, etc. with plans to go to the vet the following morning.
There we found he was un-neutered, had an upper respiratory infection, was heavily covered in
fleas and ticks, dehydrated, had worms, and the kicker; was FIV positive. From that point there
was little doubt that he was dumped by someone who knew this was BCR (it should be noted
we are located out in the county, surrounded by much property, unless you know of BCR it is not
something you could just stumble upon and recognize as a rescue). This is the 4th FIV+ cat we
have gotten this way, so whoever dumped him we guess must have hoped he would find his
way through the woods to us. The temperatures during this time of year are in the high 90s (F),
if Rusty had not found his way down to the food bowls, he would not have survived much longer in the heat.
Rusty has much settled into his life here with us, and is a very sweet cat. It took him some time to
trust the other cats that they would not attack him and that he would not go hungry again, but
he has settled in well. He is a chill and rather aloof fellow, you can typically find him lounging
throughout the day.
Having just arrived. Looks pretty rough doesn’t he?
Dear Sponsors,
It is with a heavy heart to share that Rusty has passed the rainbow bridge. Friday
morning he started to abdominal breathe. He was alert, had his appetite, and wasn't
acting any different than his regular self. I let him finish eating and we went off to the
vet. They took X-rays and there was a small amount of fluid in his lungs. He had an
echocardiogram less than two weeks ago and the specialist diagnosed him with
HCM (Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). HCM is very common in older cats and she
labeled him as a mild case. We started him on aspirin for a safe measure. Due to
him acting very normal and the fluid being such a small amount we wanted to give
him the chance by giving him Lasix over the weekend and rechecking Monday with
an X-ray to see if it was working. He did well yesterday morning with eating, moving
around, and napping with his friends. Bear and Rusty snuggled the majority of the
day while the staff and visitors showered him with love and Churu.
Last night, as I went to check his blood glucose levels his breathing had deepened.
He was sitting in discomfort. Looking at him and comparing him to that morning I
couldn't wait until Monday and watch him get any worse. We made our journey to
the emergency vet.
I was honestly nervous about going to a different clinic from our trusted vet that
Rusty and I both knew. However, the emergency staff was amazing and of course
instantly fell in love with his sweet soul. We sat on the couch with him lying on my
lap purring the infectious rumbly purrs he is known for. I brought his favorite treat,
Churu. While I sat there and scratched all his favorite spots he enjoyed himself with
several Churus. He crossed the rainbow bridge to the evergreen meadows in
complete happiness and comfort.
Rusty was found on Blind Cat Rescue’s property in 2015. He was unneutered, had
an upper respiratory infection, was covered in fleas and ticks, dehydrated, had
worms, and the kicker; was FIV positive. From that point there was little doubt that
he was dumped by someone who knew this was BCR. Rusty had been diagnosed
with diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypertension, and HCM over the past two years. He
has been a staple and a part of the welcoming committee of room 1 for almost nine
years and leaves such a hole in the room. Thank you for your support and for
providing a forever home for such a loving sweet boy. We will miss smiling at his
food-covered face every time he eats (always saving it for later), being front and
center for churu time, and his comforting purrs.
I'm so sorry,
Sam
Sponsored by Lynn - Thank you!
Sponsored by Susan - Thank you!
Sponsored by Setsuko - Thank you!
Sponsored by Catherine - Thank you!
Sponsored by Bhavana - Thank you!
Sponsored by Ione- Thank you!
Sponsored by Shelly - Thank you!
Having just arrived. Looks pretty rough doesn’t he?
RUSTY
A week after he arrived.
A few weeks after arriving. Enjoying the a/c
plenty of food and soft beds. Sores are healing
hair is growing in.
Amazing the difference good food and being taken care of makes
Approximate Age (As of 2024): approx 15 years
Breed: Domestic Short Hair
Status: FIV+
Date Arrived: June 2015
Arrival Location: North Carolina
Rusty was found on Blind Cat Rescue’s property. We have a few
(spayed/neutered and vaccinated) indoor/outdoor yard cats and
Rusty was discovered at one of the food bowls outside. We
attempted to catch him but he ran off into the woods. We kept an
eye out and later he came back to the food bowls. We tried to catch
him again and were successful. After he was less frightened he let
us pet him and discovered he was in fact friendly (just scared). We
put him into quarantine for the night with food, water, etc. with
plans to go to the vet the following morning.
There we found he was un-neutered, had an upper respiratory
infection, was heavily covered in fleas and ticks, dehydrated, had
worms, and the kicker; was FIV positive. From that point there was
doubt that he was dumped by someone who knew this was BCR (it
should be noted we are located out in the county, surrounded by
alot of property, unless you know of BCR it is not something you
just stumble upon and recognize as a rescue). This is the 4th FIV+
cat we have gotten this way, so whoever dumped him we guess must
have hoped he would find his way through the woods to us. The
temperatures during this time of year are in the high 90s (F), if Rusty
had not found his way down to the food and water bowls, he would
not have survived much longer in the heat.
Rusty has much settled into his life here with us, and is a very sweet
cat. It took him some time to trust the other cats that they would
not attack him and that he would not go hungry again, but he has
settled in well. He is a chill and rather aloof fellow, you can typically
find him lounging throughout the day.
Sponsored by Donald - Thank you!
Dear Sponsors,
It is with a heavy heart to share that Rusty has passed the rainbow bridge. Friday
morning he started to abdominal breathe. He was alert, had his appetite, and wasn't
acting any different than his regular self. I let him finish eating and we went off to the
vet. They took X-rays and there was a small amount of fluid in his lungs. He had an
echocardiogram less than two weeks ago and the specialist diagnosed him with
HCM (Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). HCM is very common in older cats and she
labeled him as a mild case. We started him on aspirin for a safe measure. Due to
him acting very normal and the fluid being such a small amount we wanted to give
him the chance by giving him Lasix over the weekend and rechecking Monday with
an X-ray to see if it was working. He did well yesterday morning with eating, moving
around, and napping with his friends. Bear and Rusty snuggled the majority of the
day while the staff and visitors showered him with love and Churu.
Last night, as I went to check his blood glucose levels his breathing had deepened.
He was sitting in discomfort. Looking at him and comparing him to that morning I
couldn't wait until Monday and watch him get any worse. We made our journey to
the emergency vet.
I was honestly nervous about going to a different clinic from our trusted vet that
Rusty and I both knew. However, the emergency staff was amazing and of course
instantly fell in love with his sweet soul. We sat on the couch with him lying on my
lap purring the infectious rumbly purrs he is known for. I brought his favorite treat,
Churu. While I sat there and scratched all his favorite spots he enjoyed himself with
several Churus. He crossed the rainbow bridge to the evergreen meadows in
complete happiness and comfort.
Rusty was found on Blind Cat Rescue’s property in 2015. He was unneutered, had
an upper respiratory infection, was covered in fleas and ticks, dehydrated, had
worms, and the kicker; was FIV positive. From that point there was little doubt that
he was dumped by someone who knew this was BCR. Rusty had been diagnosed
with diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypertension, and HCM over the past two years. He
has been a staple and a part of the welcoming committee of room 1 for almost nine
years and leaves such a hole in the room. Thank you for your support and for
providing a forever home for such a loving sweet boy. We will miss smiling at his
food-covered face every time he eats (always saving it for later), being front and
center for churu time, and his comforting purrs.
I'm so sorry,
Sam
