 Emma. About Nov, 2007 - 16 Nov. 2016
Today, we're honouring our little Emma girl.
Emma was a foundling that turned up in our backyard during
April/May 2013. Emma is the name I gave this lovely little feline. I watched her very closely for a few weeks as I
thought she was owned by someone in the neighbourhood. After a week, I
noticed that she was walking very stiffly and
thought that perhaps she was a very old cat. She
also looked like she was needing feeding. I started
to feed her at the beginning of June and worked slowly and carefully to gain her trust.
Her front legs were almost completely devoid of fur,
especially around her feet - looked almost clean
shaven. Her eyes didn't look right at all as the iris
appeared to be like shards of shattered glass.
When I gained her trust enough for her to allow
me to pet her I realized how painfully thin she
was. After another a week I suspected that
perhaps she had been declawed based on the shape of her feet and wasn't really
old at all.
After a few more weeks of her being
outdoors with a makeshift bed and shelter and
plenty of food and water she started to have
better mobility and started to put on a bit of
weight. I brought her in during mid-July and took
her to our vet to have her checked
for microchip. At that time Pets Niagara also had the three big blood tests done
before I could introduce her to the other cats in the sanctuary.
Emma stayed in the quarantine room for about 10 days to
allow for a full quarantine period and to allow for test
results to come back. All negative. No microchip
or tattoo was found and our vet confirmed that Emma was already spayed and
declawed.
Then began the process of trying to find her owner. She had been spayed and declawed so I knew there had to be an owner somewhere. I contacted all vets in the city. Many put
posters up for me that I had mailed to them. I delivered many more colour posters to the remaining vets in the city. I also filed a "Found" report with our LCHS and had a colour poster up on their front office board from July, 2013 to at least April, 2014. I also went a step farther and had a colour poster in the back window of my car for one entire year July
to July. Emma was repeatedly advertised on Facebook and Kijiji.
Absolutely no responses were received for this beautiful and loving little cat and so she became one of Pets Niagara's sanctuary pets. Whatever trauma she had been through, I didn't feel it fair to move her away from a place where she had found trust again, so she remained with us, always hopeful that her family would see her poster and come to claim her.
During September, 2016, Emma was diagnosed with an abdominal mass of unknown type. A re-x-ray during the second week of November showed that the mass had grown and
arrangements were made to proceed to laparascopic biopsy at Morgan's
Animal Hospital in Niagara Falls on November 16, 2016. It was hoped that, once diagnosed, Emma would be able to have the mass removed. The biopsy procedure was successful but, horribly, Dr. Morgan, despite every effort possible, was unable to stop the bleeding from the biopsy site and Emma passed away on his table. I rushed as fast as I could to get to Niagara Falls while she still had a few breaths left. But, very sadly, I could only spend time with her after she had passed. Her biopsy was sent out for diagnosis as I wanted to know exactly what she had. Emma had a hemangiosarcoma. Somewhat rare in cats but well known in dogs, particularly Labradors. The radiologist who examined her biopsy she "she was a ticking time bomb!" and included that statement in his report. So, after having been present at the death of our family Labrador by this cause, I am actually very greatful that Emma was with a veterinarian at the time of her passing. She was in the best hands that could have been possible.
Your time with us was far too short, Emma. I miss this wonderful precious little soul so very much.
We want to thank all of Wilson's Animal Hospital staff and Emma's veterinarian for all the care that they provided to Emma during her time with Pets Niagara. I also want to thank Morgan's Animal Hospital and Dr. Todd Morgan for the care and compassion he showed while Emma was in his care. He even went the extra step to have a private cremation for Emma and her ashes returned to Pets Niagara. Emma will be interred with our other sanctuary pets at Sandy Ridge Cemetery in Eden, Ontario.
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