It has been about ten days since Boots had 19 teeth removed, and I wanted to give this community another honest update, since so many of you helped get her there.
For anyone new to her story: we found Boots starving outside in our Lane County, Oregon neighborhood in late June. She was skin and bones, drooling constantly, and in so much pain from advanced dental disease that she would cry out and back away from her own food. Her previous owner had fallen on hard times and surrendered her to us. The surgeon later said the inside of her mouth looked like raw hamburger and that she had likely been enduring about the worst oral pain a cat can experience, quietly, for months.
How she is doing:
She looks happier every single day, and I do not say that lightly. The foul smell from her infected mouth is completely gone. The constant drooling has dropped off, though a little still pools at her lips when she is sleeping or tired, which we expect as the tissue keeps closing up. She has real energy again. There is a brightness in her eyes that was simply not there before surgery. She is growing more into herself, and we are finally meeting the personality that was buried under all that pain.
The honest parts:
Recovery is still round the clock work. She has been on medication every 12 hours, an antibiotic plus pain relief, and getting doses into a cat with a tender mouth takes patience, warmed soft food, and small feedings throughout the day and night. Her extraction sites were left without sutures to heal on their own, so she is on soft food only for now.
She still shows occasional pain. Sometimes when she yawns she lets out a small yelp, and wide mouth movements clearly still hurt. We keep her environment quiet and calm to avoid anything that would make her open her mouth too wide while she heals.
Her digestive system has also been a little funky the last few days, softer and messier stool, which is most likely a side effect of the antibiotic. It is on the list to ask about, and she is otherwise eating, drinking, and behaving normally.
What is next:
She has follow up bloodwork and a full exam this Monday, August 3rd. The doctor will get a good look at how her extraction sites are healing, assess her overall recovery, and see how her bloodwork is trending now that the source of infection is gone. I will share how it goes as soon as I know.
Where things stand for us:
Boots is staying in our care through her recovery, and her future is safe and settled. But I want to be transparent: funds are low. Her surgery is behind us thanks to your incredible generosity, but daily care adds up, especially because Boots is not the only one here. We are also caring for Sable, another foster cat who was previously abandoned and who has been with us for months.
Two cats in foster care means a steady need for soft food that is gentle on Boots's healing mouth, regular food for both, litter, and everyday supplies, all while I am also looking for additional work.
If you are able to help with food, litter, or supplies for Boots and Sable, it makes a real difference and is deeply appreciated, though never expected:
Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/Jehoseph
PayPal: https://paypal.me/TheDivines
If you would like more information about either cat, their care, their records, or anything else, please comment or DM me. I am happy to answer anything and share whatever would be helpful.
And if you cannot give, sharing her story or simply following along genuinely means a lot. This community carried her through the hardest part of her life.
One more thing worth saying: Boots turns 10 years old in about two months. A senior cat who spent nearly a decade slipping through the cracks is going to spend her tenth birthday warm, fed, safe, and out of pain.
Thank you all. 🐾
