Shmi's Forever Home -Adopted July 23, 2008

Shmi’s world wind recovery has landed her in her new forever home. While she very much liked her foster parents, she could not wait to see her new digs and adoptive family. So much so, she has even changed her name in preparation for her bright and loving future. Shmi is now Kevlar. Bullet proof and fancy free. Although first reports from Shmi, err Kevlar’s new home were of shyness and apprehension, she has really come out of her shell. There is a new Sheriff in town and Kelvar is putting her house in order. She wants to send a meow out to all those who have helped her along her way. The support, assistance and prayers she received from the IAR community and friends will always be remembered. Kevlar would not be where she is today without you.

And here’s to Kevlar. A true success story. Best of wishes in your new adventures!! Stay Safe.

Shmi Update 4/21/08

Wow, it has been some time since my Foster parents have updated this thing. When you want something done….gees. As you know, I have found freedom, freedom from my confined little world. Captivity was just torture. Shmi was not meant for a cage. Shmi was meant to explore, to see and be seen. And there is a lot for me to see and say. I had so much energy bottled up inside, that all I wanted to do was run. I ran so much I could have played Forrest Gump….yes, I watched too much television. What was a girl to do all day in a cage, knit? I enjoy every room in the house, but being able to look outside is always the best place to be. Who needs animal planet when you can watch the world go by from your favorite window? Couple that with how funny humans act and look, you got true reality TV. But you know what can make things better, a forever home. I am still waiting for someone to adopt me. The phone lines are open folks, what are you waiting for? Won’t you open up your heart and home for a loving Shmi?

3/30/08 Freedom.

Two and a half months of crate confinement. Seventy-seven days stuck behind bars with life passing me by. What once brought me anguish is now behind me. Thursday (3/27) I was finally given the best news I have received in some time, freedom. My bones healing exactly the way the Vets thought. Now, the consensus was here, unrestricted, unconditional, freedom. I am now free to move about my foster home, frolic with my housemates, explore uncharted territory and catch up on me just being me. I have so much energy to release. I think cabin fever set in after day 1. I mean really, watching animal planet can only keep my interest for so long you know. I was able to get out to a couple of adoption events this month. I look forward to getting out to more in the coming weeks. Will I see you there? Will I find my new adopted family? Stay tuned.

Weekly Update 3-07-08

Poor, poor Shmi. This crate confinement is really getting her down. She longs to finally be free of her imprisonment. The larger crate was nice for a couple of days. She enjoyed the extra square footage, but cabin fever is setting in. Although the video really does not show it, she normally cries to get out as soon as we enter the room. Once out for her stretch, Shmi will run around to expend pent up energy. We granted her TV privileges, specifically Animal Planet, but I think it may be giving her wild ideas. Most notably, after one primate documentary, she was jumping around all over the place. Either she was getting excited or she wanted me to get in trouble with the vet regarding limitations on her mobility. We might have to tone it down and just have her watch C-SPAN all day. We are slowly introducing our brood. She seems to really enjoy their company. She is curious about what life might be like not only outside the crate, but also out in the general population. Only a couple more weeks left, and she will be able to find out. Just hang in there Shmi.

Shmi's Six Week Checkup

Last Thursday was Shmi's 6 week evaluation by the Vet. Dr. Kirch's team at the Cat Hospital of Durham took new radiographs of Shmi's leg (see images). Dr. Clary, Shmi's orthopedic surgeon, assessed the current condition of her right leg. The conclusion-- implant is stable but union is not yet complete so 4 to 5 more weeks of crate confinement. Shmi was a little upset by this news (she had her hopes set on cell-block freedom!). Alas--it seems she will be confined for the full 10 weeks post-op suggestion. Dr. Clary did say she could move into new digs--a larger crate. We are moving her in tonight. Shmi seems very excited as she will have 12 additional inches separating her from the litter box! Dr. Clary said that the condition of Shmi's muscle mass indicates that she has good limb usage at this time. Between you and me--that's an understatement! Check out her new video!

Upcoming Vet checkup.

Shmi will be going in for her 6-week, post surgery check up later this week. She is looking forward to it, in hopes that she may abandon the crate for good. Besides, she really doesn't like to have the litter box next to her all the time. Really, who could blame her anyway? Shmi gets along very well on her reconstructed leg. She is raring to play and frankly it is hard to keep her from not doing so. Shmi is still a kitten at heart. She loves company and already has claimed several toys as her own. More to come after getting the update from the Vet.

Shmi's fan mail

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Since today is a celebration of love I wanted to take a moment to express my love for all of my loyal supporters. My operation could not have happened without you and for that I am grateful. I would like to send a personal message of thanks to Liz Shelton and Stephen Nance (see letter below) who opened their hearts to me during my time of great need even though they were grieving the loss of their beloved cat, Ivan. Their support proves that although my femur was fractured because of human cruelty there are still many wonderful people (Animal Lovers and Protectors) in the world. So let me say thanks to you all once again for giving me a second chance at life. In honor of Valentine's Day please consider opening your heart to a homeless pet by visiting your local shelter or come by Pet Smart at Patterson Place this Saturday from 1-5 pm to meet my IAR compatriots.

Love,
Shmi

Shmi's Perspective

Day 146 of captivity, okay maybe it has only been 4 weeks. My captors continue to lock me in this cage. They mock my very existence with their petty visits. They will not break me though. The male is an odd creature of habit. He enters my primary confines to burn images of my gorgeous self on some sort of electronic third eye. Then he gets me to prance around this dungeon-like room for his amusement. The female visits are more for my amusement and bringing me food. They both allow me out of my cell in order to stretch. While I have my back turned, I know they are checking my bed for contraband. I think I can take the male, but the female is clever. My leg is healing nicely. Soon maybe the scar will heal and I pray the hair will grow back. Oh, the horror, the horror. I am so ready to get out of solitary confinement. I want to run, play and explore. I have seen glimpses of intelligent creatures (Cats!) on the other side of my door. Oh, I so long to see and play (pounce and chase!) them. Humans are so overrated. I am sure the humans will post more pictures of me below. They can be so cruel.

Shmi's Surgery Report

For more exciting details about Shmi's surgery and expected recovery go to
http://victoria.wagoner.googlepages.com/home. She is coming up on 3 weeks post surgery and she is doing great! Just this week she began using her repaired leg to scratch that hard to reach spot just behind her ear. Shmi is very playful and loving -- but she wants out of the crate. She wants to let everyone know that she appreciates all of the love and support you have given to her.

Staples Removed

Tuesday (1/22) the staples were finally removed from Shmi's leg. She fretted endlessly over these metal parasites that had clung to her body for approximately 10 days and only took less than 30 seconds to remove. Did I mention during this period she decided to "help out" Dr Kirch by removing 4 of them herself? Luckily, her sutures continue to heal nicely. Out with the staples and off with the dreaded blue recovery collar. Shame, it really brought her eyes. One day she even decided to wear it as a skirt. Now, I am sorry I didn't get a picture of that episode. Alas, Shmi looks great and is as loving as ever. Shhhh, don't tell her that she still has several more weeks of solitary confinement in her crate. She gets a few moments everyday in the "yard" (what she calls the area outside her crate). Shmi will walk about, stretch that one leg out and just melt your heart. However, this is my opportunity to check for contraband while cleaning the crate.

Triangle Pet Rescue

Triangle Pet Rescue is a local non-profit run almost entirely by the fabulous Gray Tuggle. The mission of the rescue is to help people looking to adopt animals or looking for help with rescued strays, owner surrenders, etc and to this end the website (see side bar) has a great compilation of local rescues and shelters. The rescue will sometimes aid in efforts to help injured animals found by good Samaritans - and we are lucky to have their help in helping Shmi. In fact, the majority of the donations we have received so far have been through Triangle Pet Rescue - thanks, Gray! Be sure to look out for their sponsored ad for Shmi in the Independent Weekly coming out this Wednesday (1/23/08)!

Shmi vs. The Staples

Shmi is an intelligent cat - she knows there are these little cold metallic pieces 'stapling' her suture site together. Her intelligence, however, doesn't go so far as to know that they are good for her and supposed to stay in! So the battle begins - with Shmi the clear crowd favorite. Her foster dad, Keith, came home from work one day at lunch to find her attached to some of the bedding inside her crate. One of the staples was half out and had hooked the blanket it below her - quite the pitiful site. So off she goes to the vet! When she arrived, it was clear that this staple was not the first victim - she had already removed two others! (Score: Shmi 2, Staples 0)

Luckily for her, the suture site was still healing nicely, with no visible infection (although she is on antibiotics just to be safe!). So Dr. Kirch removed the loose staple and another one that was loosening up (rack up two more points for Shmi). The foster parent assured us that neither he nor Victoria had ever seen her trying to groom them or remove them. So we waited, and we waited, and then TA-DA - we caught Shmi in action! She gave us a defiant look as she grabbed one side of a stable and tugged away at it. Sneaky, sneaky little girl!

With no other alternative, we decided that she would have to wear - insert drum roll - the dreaded blue flower, otherwise known as the soft e-collar. Cats do tend to like them much better than the harder, clear, plastic variety - but all in all, they would probably prefer to sleep with a screaming 2-yr old child than wear either. *sigh* I believe that makes the staples the winner!

And so recovery begins….

Shmi returned to her Foster parents Saturday (1/12) to begin recuperating from her lengthy surgery. Much to her dismay, Shmi must remain in here crate for the next several weeks. Six or more to be exact, but don't tell her I said that. Her appetite is growing which is a good sign. She didn't like her liquid meds, but really who does? Now, the pill pockets she loves. As long as she thinks they are treats, it's all good. She seems to enjoy her luxury suite, but often cries out because she wants out " ATTICA, ATTICA." When she gets out of her crate, she walks about, struts her stuff, and shows her love. She is very mobile and seems to be very appreciative of help she has received. She does sport a soft recovery collar to prevent her from pulling out her staples.

The BIG DAY!

Shmi's much anticipated day was finally here and we kept reassuring her that we were really trying to help her! It's hard to try to convince a scared, stressed animal that you mean them no harm - but as we got her prepped for surgery, we tried to talk calmly and give her massages.

Dr. Clary arrived with his entourage for the surgery just prior to 11am - and Shmi was pretty much sedated the entire time he was there. Finally, with her feeling no pain, he was able to do a thorough exam and his findings were rather grim. He pointed out where it looked like part of her fractured bone was already trying to attach to the wrong place, and was able to show just how much shortened the injured leg was in comparison to her good leg. He explained that the difficulty with this surgery wasn't going to be the break itself, but rather the amount of time since the injury.

For the next THREE and a HALF HOURS, Dr. Clary and his assistant, Margaret, worked tirelessly to piece Shmi's leg back together. Since Shmi is a young cat, in otherwise excellent health, her bones had no problem trying to heal themselves and already started to regenerate new bone. Unfortunately, since the fractured bones weren't anywhere near their proper alignment, the new growth was actually a hindrance and had to be meticulously scraped away. A pin was placed through the length of the bone - but another discovery made the plan a little trickier than expected. Unable to be seen on the x-ray, a segment of Shmi's femur had become completely broken off from either end of the bone and was not in a usable form. Dr. Clary decided that a plate would be needed and this would be her best chance for a smooth recovery. He inserted a plate along side the re-aligned portions of the femur and screwed in 11 screws. One was not able to be inserted due to the missing bone fragment. Shmi's femur will grow back from either end and reattach over time. The plate, unless any unforeseen complications should arise, will stay in her leg for the rest of her life. She will not be able to go through any metal detectors ;-)



We set up Shmi in a cage for the rest of the day - with warm blankets heated in the dryer, warm lactated ringer bags, and kept a close eye on her until closing. Dr. Kirch, the vet at the Cat Hospital of Durham (where the surgery was performed - thank you!), wanted to be able to dose her with more pain meds later that night, so she kindly took her home (thanks again!).

Twas the Night Before Surgery....

And Shmi had no idea what was ahead of her! Her foster mom dropped her off for pre-op bloodwork and to start the painkiller patch called a fentanyl patch. Most surgeons prefer that this patch be placed at least the night prior to surgery - and it was last at least a couple days past surgery as well. She was obviously worried, but as soon as we settled her into a cage - she calmed down. I wondered whether she thought she was back in a shelter environment and made sure to give her extra loving in between clients. Before the night was over - we got her set up with an IV catheter, warm bedding, sent off her bloodwork, and unfortunately - the dreaded plastic E-collar. We left for the night with Shmi giving us a rather scolding look, yet quietly retaining her dignity - tomorrow was the big day!

Before Surgery

This is a video of Shmi before she went in for pre-op prep and eventual surgery. You will see that she manages to get around although it has to be painful. But not once did Shmi let discomfort get in the way to walking around and showing some love, a true diva in the making. My apologies with the video. Spielberg I am not :-)

The Diagnosis

When Shmi first arrived at her foster home, it was evident that the injury to her right leg was a continual source of pain. Despite the constant ache though, Shmi's true personality began to shine through! She would try to headbutt anyone's hand for attention and would purr almost non-stop. She tries to make 'biscuits' and happy paws to show that she was content with her new surroundings. She spent the majority of her time in crate confinement - as recommended until the injury could be assessed - but would come out a little at meal times. The foster dad - Keith- describes her efforts to walk as one of the most painful things that he has ever seen. Her natural resting position for when she tried to stand was to stand on both front legs while she her back legs would rest to the side - with the injured one up in the air.


She was taken into the vet at the first available opportunity (unfortunately, the date coincided with New Years closings) for an exams and x-rays. Their findings were grim - Shmi had been shot with buckshot - riddling her body with small metal fragments. The worst of it - at least three of the bullets had hit her right femur - breaking it into several portions. The rest of the pellets scattered across her pelvis, tail and hips - luckily causing no major injuries.

The vet also noted that she had a luxating patella in her other knee (her knee can dislocate out of the socket, the socket is too shallow to keep the knee in place). This unfortunately meant that she couldn't have the leg amputated - with all the weight on the remaining back leg, the knee would give out. Without orthopedic surgery - Shmi would not have a chance for recovery and since the expense for the surgery is immense - the vet recommended euthanasia. We all understood - it wasn't that she wanted to euthanize Shmi, but the majority of the time, when the treatment would require upwards of $2000 in medical needs, non-profit rescues couldn't afford the cost.

But Shmi just kept purring and melted our hearts - and the foster parent took her back home to regroup and find another way. Hope came when we consulted other veterinarians and an orthopedic surgeon - they all agreed that amputation would not be needed - Shmi could keep her leg and her life!!

A Cat Named Shmi

Some animals beg for help, running up to your door, your car, or meeting you in a random alleyway. Other animals know how good they have it - allowing you to spoil them endlessly and lavishing their adoration upon you. And then there are the random few that sit back and know their fate in this sometimes cruel world is sealed. And that is where we found Shmi.

Shmi was brought in to a local rural animal shelter in North Carolina. Having a low-budget to work with, not nearly enough space to contain a county's worth of animals, and a constant 'deadline' (bad pun!) - the shelter staff can barely keep the most adoptable of animals past a few weeks at best. In fact, according to their latest yearly statistics, 9 out of 10 cats that go in the shelter doors never come out alive. Animals that are brought in with injuries do not stand a chance - no matter the severity of the trauma.

One of our local foster parents was contacted about some adoptable shelter kitties - and also mentioned one that was to be euthanized for a leg injury of unknown etiology. Another fabulous foster parent stepped up to take this little girl in and so starts Shmi's Tale!