PUMA has always been amazingly STRONG! Puma never lost a kitten! She had big litters and none of her kittens had sniffles or crusty eyes--ever! PUMA amazed us with her health and strength. Her testimony is nothing short of a miracle from God!

 PUMA'S MIRACLE STORY

---- SATURDAY morning, JULY 9,  2022 I walked into the bathroom to check on pregnant PUMA. Puma didn't lift her head off the floor! She simply looked up at me, her eyes were pleading and worried. I immediately put her in the car and off we ran to the emergency clinic! The clinic informed me that $3,000 must be paid "up-front" before they would do anything! WOW! I paid, and they took x-rays and bloodwork.  The outcome was that PUMA could offer surgery, but her bloodwork showed that she would most likely NOT SURVIVE (only 30% chance survival) because her kidneys were shutting down, she was septic, and anemic. Her kittens were possibly pre-mature and also would not survive. The emergency vet wanted euthanasia! We argued because I refused to kill my cat....and I put my dying PUMA back into the carrier and cried all the way home----only checking a few times to see if she was still alive because I was afraid to see! When I got home, I put her back into the bathroom and didn't even open the carrier immediately because she was so lifeless. I was devastated!  Eventually, I went back upstairs and pulled her lifeless body out of the carrier and laid her on towels. Tried to comfort her and cried some more!

----Later that evening (about 1 am on Sunday morning) my daughter came into my room and said, "Mom, Puma just had a kitten and its alive!" We both ran upstairs and I found a pile of blood on the floor with a kitten in the middle of it! The kitten died, but Puma felt better. I told my girls that if PUMA survived until Monday morning, we would take her to the local vet and see if we can get a C-section/spay for her and save her life.

-----MONDAY morning July 11, 2022...PUMA IS ALIVE!!! Physically much better! YEAAA!!! We were waiting for the vet doors to open at 9am!! I explained to my local vet what PUMA had gone through over the weekend and that she definitely had more kittens inside (according to her X-rays). The local vet ran Puma's bloodwork. Now, Puma's bloodwork was WORSE than on Saturday! The local vet told me, "Puma's kidneys were shutting down on Saturday. Now Puma's KIDNEYS & LIVER are shutting down! PUMA is going to die."  The local vet told me that her only hope was a blood transfusion which was not an option at her clinic.

Again, the recommendation was euthanasia. I refused. Unfortunately, local vet "tech" decided to HARD-SELL euthanazing PUMA. She said I was un-ethical to not kill my cat!! But I knew, Puma was PHYSICALLY walking, eating, drinking, and using the litterbox! Not killing my cat was EASY! Arguing with the Vet "tech" was actually SURREAL!! It was like a dream!!! I remember telling myself (in my head), "KIM, they cannot stop you from taking your cat home! You CAN take her home. Don't give in.... take her home!" Emotionally, I was so drained!! So the cognitive dissonance was confusing:  trusting the professional's advice, "kill my cat because of bad lab results"  VS.  my own eyes and physical knowledge, "Puma was dying and now she seems FINE to my eyes." We got oral antibiotic, pain pills, a $500 bill, and a bad headache!  

--- THURSDAY evening, July 14, 2022. Puma gives birth to two kittens. One is dead, one is alive! She is tired, but PUMA appears fine! I think she is relieved!! and I am soo happy and hopeful!!! YES!!! Could Puma survive now? ...and actually have one surviving kitten?? Oh! YES!! 

----FRIDAY, bright & early, July 15, 2022. We head-out to our local vet. All smiles!! Momma is still alive and has one healthy kitten! Today is a wonderful day!! My local vet does an X-ray. Unfortunately, she sees 2 more kittens. The local vet still doesn't want to do a C-section....and she sends me home with a shot of oxytocin. The vet's instructions were, "if Puma doesn't have the 2 kittens on her own, give this shot on Sunday evening. The shot may rupture her uterus, then she will die. So give it on Sunday evening since my office is open Monday morning." Head home, $300 later, shot in hand, disappointed, but still hopeful!

-----SUNDAY evening, July 17, 2022. Puma was given the shot of oxytocin. I never saw her have any contractions...produced no kittens

-----MONDAY, July 18, 2022. Called my vet and explained that she never produced any kittens. The Local vet said to bring her in to the office tomorrow because they were too booked today

-----TUESDAY morning July, 19, 2022. @ 9am Me & PUMA are, once again, driving to the local vet (baby did not survive). Bloodwork was done. Again, I was told NO--she will not survive a C-section! And the local vet advised me to take Puma to A&M to see if they can do a blood transfusion and surgery. Disappointed....exhausted...and financially drained, I call my dad and ask, "What do I do?" He told me to go if I want to go.....but also to tell them UP_FRONT that I'm not spending thousands of dollars to have a dead cat. OKAY, DAD!! Dad was thinking for me at this point because I was just numb and could not think anymore!

A&M said, "$5000 is the base (goes up from there)....Puma has about 50% chance to survive a transfusion & surgery, but without the surgery she will DIE." I said, "No..... I will not spend $5000+. Financially, I just cannot do it. Not even a better than 50% chance. I cannot." They advised euthanasia. of course, I said "NO!".....Then the (very nice) vet gave me the name to a "low cost" spay/neuter clinic in austin. He said they specialize in spay/neuter and he had a friend who worked there. He advised take her there immediately. We made a new x-ray and verified YES! there were still 2 kittens inside. Puma received a shot of antibiotic.

I just turned off my phone... cried ... prayed....and stared at the highway for that long drive back home. I didn't want to talk, or even think at this point.

I put my poor, sweet PUMA back into the bathroom and told her, "Well, it's up or down! Which way will you go?" 

----She just kept it up! If it was not for the X-rays....no one would have ever known that this cat had a problem!  She ate well, drank well....stretched on the scratching post.....it was so weird!! She never went DOWNHILL!! 

----SUNDAY August 1, 2022.  Today, I had an overwhelming urge!! I thought her body (hopefully) was now strong enough to survive a surgery.  I felt, it was do or die! Those kittens had to come out, she couldn't keep dead kittens (fully developed inside her body). And I called the spay/neuter clinic in Austin.....and they answered!!! on a Sunday! The girl said she would put an email out and see if anyone would respond. I told her to put a NOTE "PLEASE SOMEONE TAKE A CHANCE ON MY CAT! PLEASE!' She told me she had 2 vets say they would do it....and to be in Austin at 8am in the morning!!

-----MONDAY August 2, 2022. 5:30am, my daughter and I begin down the highway towards Austin!! 

PUMA is our walking miracle kitty!