Updates: For the latest news on PIPER's situation, click this BLOG-LINK. And THANKS for your continued support!
PIPER's STORY
Last Christmas, my daughter's only wish was to adopt a kitten from the local animal shelter. After an extended search, we finally found a sweet Calico kitty, 8 weeks old, paid her adoption fees, and brought her home to love.
Naming her took a lot of time, but eventually we settled on "PIPER" -- although "ZOOMER" was a contender, since she would zoom through a room to chase (and fetch) a crumpled bit of paper!
Sadly, she doesn't zoom any more. Over one month's time, she's developed a lameness which causes her to sit almost constantly, like a 10-year old cat, and not the 10-month-old kitten she has yet to become!
Diagnosed by a local veterinary specialist, Piper has a condition called MLP (medially luxating patella) which means that her kneecap dislocates -- and repeatedly slips out of place. It is painful to her and seriously inhibits her movement. And it will only get worse...
 |
I'm
not a videographer, but my digital camera has a video feature. So I shot this short clip of her hobble. (Camera's
held sideways and the lighting's very bad. Sorry!)
It opens with Windows Media Player and is 1.12 MB. To watch, click this photo of her walking... |
|
After a few steps she usually stops and rolls over into this cute (but sad) little posture. |
 |
Anyway, the cost to give her a chance at life with less than excruciating lameness, will be $1800 to $2200. That's a staggering sum, to nearly anyone, and while some might scoff and say we should just put her down, we've all fallen in love with this little kitty! She purrs like a motorboat at the slightest provocation.
So, we're trying to raise the funds for her surgery, as much as possible through the internet. I will earmark 10% of my website sales for her cause (gotta pay our human bills, too!!) and I've set up an eBay ID to host auctions of personal toys and treasures, the sale of which will be totally devoted to getting Piper better.
Here are a few pictorial moments with Piper, just to tug on your heartstrings...
In case she never gets the surgery, it's lucky Piper has an intellectual side.
Her taste in television is unconventional for a kitten, but she really gets into the plot.
She
used to enjoy racing up and down this carpet tree I made -- inspired by one we saw in a shelter.
Her favorite past time is
a stealthy game of "HIDE IN A PAPER BAG."
and
place a bid.
(Click WOOD TURNINGS to go to my WOODbyC home page.)
(Click your browser's BACK button to return to the page you left.)