Here is the update for this one...

Hey everyone. I wanted to give you an update.


First - the response was literally overwhelming to Toe's plight. I kept up with Sunday's inquiries fairly well and they kept coming in today while I was at work and couldn't reply. I am only just now able to sit down and respond to many of you, and for that I apologize.


TOE IS SAFE.


She had been pulled over the weekend and boarded very temporarily with a vet. A good samaritan ensured that she was seen by a veterinary eye specialist at a local specialty clinic, and it was that same good samaritan who reached out to me to try to find placement for her because she literally had nowhere to go and couldn't stay boarded forever. The issue with her eyes, according to the specialist, is this: She had an infection that probably developed some months ago at the shelter. The shelter (I don't know which one - just that it is a rural shelter in SW Virginia) either couldn't or didn't treat her eyes, which led to the development of ulcers. The ulcers left scar tissue, which is what left her fully blind in one eye and with only limited vision in the other eye. On top of that, she has a grade 3-4 heart murmur (on a scale of 6). She *may* outgrow this - we can surely hope.


I had both rescue and individual offers for Toe. Honestly - the response was humbling and really wonderful. Ultimately, I decided - along with the good samaritan who brought her to my attention - to place her with a rescue and a foster that has deep experience with special needs cats. She will be spayed tomorrow. Two surgeons will be doing the procedure to protect her given the heart murmur. The rescue wants to get her into foster and then have her evaluated by their eye specialist, and they also want a cardiac consult for the heart murmur to ensure she gets the best care.


The reason I made the decision to place her with rescue is actually pretty simple: I don't personally have experience with blind cats or cats with cardiac anomalies that need to be addressed, so I didn't feel I was in a position to evaluate the numerous requests I had for individual adopters. The rescue DOES have that ability, so I feel beyond confident that she'll get the care she needs and then be placed with the perfect family.


To those of you who - early on Sunday - filled out an application - THANK YOU. This all happened very quickly and I was sending out stuff and replying to people before the plan to transfer her to a rescue was secure.


I will be transporting her on Friday. Once she is with the receiving rescue, I will send a follow up email with the rescue's name, website and contact information for those of you who wish to pursue adoption and/or have generously offered to make a donation for her care.


Keep her in your thoughts tomorrow for an uneventful and successful spay surgery!