Beef’s story starts with Mom & Pops, living in housing on B Street next to Ft Carson. Both are frail and not very mobile. Their neighbor called to say they were going to have to move out for a month and had too many cats.
We began with the sick kittens, saving 4 litters last year. Mom & Pops kept putting us off, a classic hoarding response. But they had a deadline to move out before the landlords did a big remodel, first in 25 years, so they finally let us in right before.
Picture dark, crowded and extremely smokey rooms, with hungry, skinny cats. We named them the B Street Band.
They were turned out in the cold in February. We got a few into carriers but most were terrified out of their minds and could not be called in. Those had to be trapped, which is the most humane method of capture, but leaves another level of emotional scarring that has to be recovered.
Along with stunted growth and upper respiratory infections, almost all of the Band had bad teeth. Our vet said being trapped in an airless home with smokers certainly contributed.
Three also had eye issues so bad they each lost an eye, and one was in pain and couldn’t walk from a broken leg that was never taken care of.
Some would argue we should spend our resources only on the healthier of the Band, euthanizing the ones who would cost us more.
But where do we draw the line? Do we only save the ones who needed less-involved dentals but euthanize for full extractions? Do we put down the one who needed the amputation, after she’d survived for years in pain?
We chose to save them all.
Who wouldn’t love such a soulful, playful, indomitable spirit?
This hunky cat is now Beefcake, Beef for short. Shawn made this video to show how far he came in just a few short weeks.
How much joy can a one-eyed, toothless 5 year old cat bring to the people he lives with? A lot!
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