Save the stray cat with squamous cell carcinoma3

(Please support Choi, now known as Vitina, can receive the expensive but necessary CANCER-treatment. You can donate to the crowdfunding campaign launched by the local animal protection organization here ↓ ↓)

[embed]Donate to Una nuova vita per Vitina, organized by Sezione Enpa Trapani Ciao siamo un gruppo di volontari che segue tanti gatti sul territorio ed ieri ci hann... Sezione Enpa Trapani needs…www.gofundme.com

●Reunion

On my first day, in Trapani (a city in western Sicily), while struggling to get a SIM at a major telecommunications company branch, we received messages from ENPA, the volunteer group caring for Choi. They asked if we could take another rescue cat from a veterinary clinic in Trapani to the volunteer’s home where Choi was, since we were in Trapani and on our way to visit her in San Vito Lo Capo.

Thinking, “They’re really entrusting their cats to some unknown foreigner…”, we picked up a dark brown cat from the veterinary clinic.

The cat we transported

When I asked the veterinarian at the animal hospital about Choi, she said that the cancer cells hadn’t reached deep into the tissue and were only on the surface, so electrochemotherapy was scheduled to end. Feeling a little more optimistic, we headed to San Vito Lo Capo where Choi was.

Finally.

Reunion after about 4 months

She won’t move… and thin…

She was much weaker and thinner than I had imagined from what I’d heard at the vet. She seemed too weak to move from her bed. Even so, when we spoke to her and stroked her, she seemed to remember us and pressed her cheek against mine with all her might, which filled my heart with emotion.

The area where she had received her second round of electrochemotherapy was painful to look at, scabbed over and cause a smell. we had to be careful not to accidentally pull the skin connected to the affected area, as it would cause pain. The part covering her nasal cavity was missing. When she breathed, the air hit the yellow pus, causing a whistling sound along with her purr.

Left is when we first met in winter, right is 4months later we met again. The tumor has grown considerably.

You did great, Choi.

Now you’ll recover slowly.

She kept trying to rub her cheeks and head against our hands.

Taking advantage of E’s offer — “I won’t be here tomorrow, but you’re welcome to come anytime during your stay in Sicily” — we ended up visiting A’s house almost every day during our stay. Every day at 5 p.m., Japanese strangers would come to the house and spend an hour petting the cat. We are deeply grateful to A for taking us in, and to E for trusting us and allowing us to come and go from her beloved mother’s house.

●During the stay

Two days later, Choi got out of A’s wheelchair and approached us on her own. Her steps were steady, we were so happy.

walking!

But even then, she returned to bed after a while.

Lying down on the bed

On the fourth day, we saw she drinking water, eating food, and using the cat toilet. I was relieved to see that she had an appetite. Seeing she properly using the litter box made me realize that she had truly become a house cat, not just a stray.

She drinks a lot of water.

She is able to use the toilet properly.

Because the affected area is around her mouth, she can’t eat hard foods. she was eating mousse-like wet food.

Mousse food

On the fifth day, pus was still blocking her nasal cavity, and she sounded like she was struggling to breathe, making a whistling noise. But when I sat down the chair I borrowed from A, she looked up at me, put her legs on mine, and jumped onto my lap. I was so happy to see that she had recovered enough to jump onto me.

hope the pus goes away soon.

When we were leaving, we returned the chairs we had borrowed from the cat room (a room between the bedroom and living room that serves as a temporary shelter for rescued cats, which we had been using to meet Choi) to the living room, and Choi came out into the living room as well. She sat down and watched the TV intently. According to A, Choi loves watching TV.

Choi turned around when I called out to her as she was watching TV

Choi’s behavior is gradually becoming more like that of a house cat. When we come in, Choi comes out to the cat room from A’s wheelchair in the bedroom, jumps onto our laps, and purrs while being brushed. At first, we were hesitant to brush her because we were worried that it would hurt if we pulled on the skin of the affected area, but as long as we brushed her gently without applying too much force, she often seemed to fall asleep comfortably.

And she also grooms herself. She licks her front paws and rubs them around her mouth. I wonder if it hurts, but she might also feel annoyed by the scabs getting in the way.

Is she cleanly cat?

Lick

When she closes her eyes, she looks like she’s smiling.

From left to right. Once part of the scab peeled off, the viscous pus disappeared.

She doesn’t seem to be in pain. She’s fine when we pet her head. Her appetite is still strong.

She lifts her head happily as she is petted.

Roll over

Day 10

Finally, the remaining black spot in front of her mouth has come off, and the whistling sound has also disappeared. She looks a bit like Frankenstein because of the boil and her exposed teeth, but Choi is still beautiful. Perhaps my senses have become numb.

Beautiful big eyes

When we first met Choi in winter, she was always in a hurry. When we called her, she would run frantically from a distance to us, gobble down food, and drink water in a panic. So I thought Choi was a quick and efficient. But after observing Choi every day, now that she no longer had to worry about starvation and could sleep in a place where she wouldn’t be exposed to strong winds or get wet in the rain, I realized that she was actually quite laid-back. She’s kind of naive, and she does a lot of mysterious things. She’ll do something, for example, drink water. She’ll drink it with a smacking sound. When she’s satisfied, she’ll stop, eyes wide open and water dripping from her chin. What is she looking at? What is she thinking? Or thinking nothing at all? She’ll stay frozen like a doll for about a minute, and then, as if she suddenly remembered, she’ll start walking and go to the toilet.

She remained still with the mouth ,half covered in scabs

One day, E asked us to bring some ground beef, so we bought some at the supermarket. When I put it on a plate, she started gobbling it up. It was the first time I’d ever seen a cat eat raw beef.

chomp chomp

Because cats are carnivores.

yummy

In this way, we visited Choi every day during our stay to observe her condition and watched as she slowly recovered.

●Animal hospital visit

Two days before our return flight, we took Choi to the animal hospital in Trapani.

Choi steps onto the weighing scale

Choi weighs 4.24 kg, apparently 1 kg more than last time. This is equivalent to about 10 kg in human terms. Indeed, she seems to be eating well every day, and compared to the first day, Choi seems to have fewer bony parts. her temperature was taken, and the condition of her scabs was checked; everything was fine.

Aranyan, with his fracture, was left at the hospital, and Choi was brought back to San Vito Lo Capo.

Temperature measurement!

●Last day

Our stay passed by in the blink of an eye, and the last day arrived. We took a beautifully wrapped potted plant as a token of our gratitude to A and went to say goodbye to Choi.

Whether aware of our overwhelming emotions or not, Choi quietly lets us pet her.

I want to keep listening to the purring sound forever

She’s changed so much since we first met, but she’s still just as lovable. I hope she finds a kind owner and lives happily ever after. At the very end, as if to say, “You’ll come again tomorrow anyway, so I’m done for the day!”, she strode off to her favorite bedroom.

graceful Choi

Even in winter, when it was time to say goodbye, Choi didn’t look at us at all. After the hailstorm, the sky suddenly cleared, and the space became too bright. She walked slowly and cautiously through the brightness and dazzling, her eyes wide open, as if exploring a new world. It was a truly beautiful sight.

●Choi’s future

On the first day of stay, E asked us if we wanted to take Choi back to Japan. we replied “we would like if possible, but we know it would be difficult”, considering the microchipping, two rabies vaccinations, antibody titer testing, a 180-day waiting period after the test, quarantine upon entry, and the airline’s decision on whether or not to transport her. Above all, a long flight would undoubtedly be a huge burden for Choi, who is seriously ill. Moreover, if something were to happen, she could be held at a Japanese airport for up to 180 days.

E said she would “find a good home for her.” Choi is our beloved and adorable, but we can’t help but worry whether someone will truly love her even after her face changed. We want Choi to be adopted by a merciful and compassionate person, showered with love, and live a life full of happiness.

Be happy, definitely.

According to V from the animal rescue org ENPA, electrochemotherapy is finished, and antibiotics will be administered from now on.

Once the symptoms subside, the search for a new home will begin in earnest, but medical care will continue to be needed to see how the exposed nasal and oral mucosa will heal once the scabbed tumors have completely fallen off.

We ask for your continued support until Choi finds a new family and can live happily.

[embed]Donate to Una nuova vita per Vitina, organized by Sezione Enpa Trapani Ciao siamo un gruppo di volontari che segue tanti gatti sul territorio ed ieri ci hann... Sezione Enpa Trapani needs…www.gofundme.com