Mabel

In February 2021, I received a text from a dear friend at Meow Village about a feral cat that they were trying to find a home for. I had reached out a few weeks ago and offered to take her in but, at the time, they had already found someone else who wanted to give her a chance.

When that didn't work out, they asked if we still had room and I was thrilled to say of course! (There is something so soothing about helping a lost soul).

This was the post they had put up on FB a month ago:

"This is a heartbreaking story and we're hoping you can help us find the kitty in the photos a special home. She was found by a good Samaritan in the parking lot of a business, shivering in the rain. It's estimated she is 13 years old. She had many infected, broken teeth that had to be removed--she has 3 teeth left. She is malnourished and as you can see, looks pretty rough. But she is eating well and healing. You'll probably notice she is a poly.

She is NOT a social kitty right now--could she become one? Maybe. We DO know she would benefit from having a buddy. At the time of rescue, we placed another rescue next to her -- both were in cages. The first thing she did was reach through the cage with her paw toward the other kitty like she wanted a friend.

The type of home we are looking for would be an enclosed outdoor structure--think of a "She Shed", artist's studio, or a small structure used for hobbies that have lots of windows. The sort of environment where she can interact with the human on her terms and she would have another cat to be her buddy. Space where she can relax, be safe and warm.

With only 3 teeth and being 13 years old, we don't want her to be outside, exposed to predators. If she were in a home--she would most likely hide under a bed 24/7 and we do not want that kind of life for her."

Please follow Meow Village and support the wonderful work they do! They have been a part of the WildCat Ridge family for many years and we LOVE them dearly.

Sweet Mabel was very frightened when she arrived here. Since we had a feeling that she would love a feline friend, we placed her in our domestic cat section, and she began to blossom. Soon, Stella, our one-eyed very friendly cat became her best buddy. Then, a miracle happened: Mabel, who had absolutely shown no interest in humans, started to ask for attention. She wanted pets, love, and came out to greet as soon as the keepers entered her enclosure. We were thrilled! She must have learned from Stella that humans can be kind and loving.

In August 2021, we noticed a dark spot on her nose. It didn't go away, and even seemed to grow. Our worry was skin cancer. When one of our wonderful vets, Dr Lily Su, used a CT scan it confirmed that it was indeed cancer. Even though surgery meant to remove the fleshy part of her nose, we were grateful that our sweet lady could be saved.

Here are some updates we posted to Facebook:

August 25, 2021
Good news, Mabel had her CT scan this morning and it's been determined that she is a good candidate for surgery! In fact, as of 12:30 pm (PST), she is in surgery! Please continue to keep this sweet girl in your thoughts and if you can donate to help with costs we would welcome that very much

Later the same day
Our girl is out of surgery and her surgeon is feeling hopeful about getting good margins. Mabel will stay overnight and come home tomorrow! Of course we still have to watch her to make sure she heals well but with our WCR Keepers I have no doubt she will be great! Huge thanks to everyone who donated to help, we appreciate it and Mabel does as well!

September 2021
Mabel is doing so well after her cancer surgery and living the good life! She is back out with her other kitty friends and having a great time! Huge thanks to Dr. Lily Su for the life-saving surgery and to all of you who helped us raise the funds needed to make this miracle happen so Mabel can be cancer-free! Good girl Mabel

January 21, 2022
Your support helped pay for Mabel's cancer surgery. She underwent a Nasal planectomy to save her life and while she lost her nose, she gained her life back! Mabel is doing great and hasn't slowed down one bit! She is such a precious girl and we are very grateful for the love and support you provided so we could save her. This is just one more way that shows what your donations do each and every day.

From frightened feral cat living on the streets to a happy, healthy cancer-free girl - we are so happy for sweet Mabel! It truly took a village to save her, starting with Meow Village. Working together we can make miracles happen!