Jack the Cat Fundraiser

Here are just a few of Jack’s friends who have donated at Razoo or PayPal to help him with his thyroid procedure.  Thanks to all of Jack’s fans his medical bill was paid in full today and he will be released back into Chris’ (the video guy) care.  Some people asked why we chose the iodine therapy over special cat food or pilling Jack twice a day.  Pill a cat twice a day?  Seriously?  Not Jack!  As for the cat food, our volunteers are cat lovers and all have multiple cat homes.  While it is possible to cordone off everyone in separate rooms for special foods, it takes a lot of cat herding and the food is so expensive that you end up spending the same money over time as this one time treatment does to fix the problem.

Jack is 17 and we want his last years to be his best.  Thanks to all of you who made that happen.

Listed in order received:
30.00 Sarah
10.00 Judy
10.00 Brian
10.00 Jon
10.00 Alain
10.00 Victoria
10.00 Louisa
50.00 Hillary
33.00 Karen
33.00 Robin
25.00 Meredith
25.00 Melissa
67.00 Jan
25.00 Jessica
20.00 Charlene
20.00 Deborah
10.00 Stephanie
10.00 Sabrina
75.00 Fiona
25.00 Helen
25.00 Dena
25.00 Donna James
25.00 Alisha
25.00 Andrew
25.00 Janet
25.00 Monica
10.00 Julie

25.00 Shelley
25.00 Nancy
25.00 Melissa
25.00 Barbara
100.00 Suzette
15.00 Connie
20.00 Natasha
75.00 Assana and asked employer to match
10.00 Amy

50.00 Tawnya Taralson
50.00 Mark Cater
50.00 Michele Marziano
10.00 Lyn Reid
10.00 Leslie Crowell
50.00 Art Glass Ensembles
10.00 Melinda McLain

100.00 Charlene
10.00 Carol
36.00 Melissa
20.00 Donna
29.59 Yana

Tigger told Jack that there is cure!

 

About three years ago Tigger was diagnosed with overactive thyroid tumor as he approached his 16^th birthday. Thanks to the dedication of his Big Cat Rescuers he received the best treatment available at the Florida Veterinary Specialty Clinic, here in Tampa. Now our beloved Jack is facing the same diagnosis. There are options, but there is clearly one best choice for this condition!

 

Medical treatment is a lifelong commitment to giving the cat a pill twice a day. Tapazole (methimazole) controls the disease; it is not a cure. Regular blood tests are required to adjust the dosage and to check for dangerous side effects. The tumor often continues to grow and the dosage must be increased. This drug has some nasty side effects including vomiting, nausea, anemia and skin excoriations.

 

Surgery is traumatic and carries the risk of anesthesia and postoperative complications, and recurrence is not uncommon.

 

The radioactive isotope, Iodine-131, is more than a treatment, it is a cure! This one time treatment avoids the stress and complications of surgery and the side effects and on-going expense of pills. One painless injection is all it takes and Jack goes home in 48 hours. There are rarely any side effects. The statistics are excellent: 97% of the cats given radioactive iodine do not require further treatment. The only down side is that the treatment is expensive!

 

Tigger is a success story of this treatment that he received at age 15. He just turned 18 years old on June 17^th, and what a lively, handsome, happy old fellow he is.

Max the bobcat knows all about sleepy time techniques

Trees fell down in storm, but Babbs got them back upright today

Big Cat Rescue Interns learn about sedation techniques

Jamie and Justin show the proper use of the blow pipe

Vet instructs Interns on proper use of sedation equipment

Big Cat Rescue Interns learn how to use sedation equipment

Big Cat Rescue Interns learn how to use sedation equipment