DUSTY – ANGEL IN HEAVEN

Friends, it is with great sadness that we write this post… We wish that it is not sad, but gives us comfort and inspires hope… To our great regret, the kitten Dusty went over the rainbow, quietly and meekly left this world. Kidney failure was the last obstacle in his path, and fighting this medical condition is often, if not always, unequal.

Since October, Dusty has been in a foster home with Kichka – Vicky’s mother, who some time ago was a foster rescuer for kitten Kolyo. In those few months in the company of the lady who opened her home and heart to him, Dusty seemed to blossom and transform from a scared and timid street cat into a loving house cat without reservation. Words cannot express our gratitude to Vicki and her mother for what they did for an unwanted, neglected and sick cat and we believe Dusty felt their love. From them we know that his favorite pastime was lounging on the cupboard on the terrace, where the sun’s rays warmed his feline heart.

So, our consolation is that another innocent being was able to feel what it is to have a homely and peaceful life, with nice people by your side. And our hope – that others would follow the good example to help an animal in need.

Rest in peace sweet boy. The sun will shine for you🙏🤍🐱

• Name : Dusty
• Gender: Male
• Castration: yes
• Age: About 7 years old, but possibly much younger.
• Character: meek, calm.
• Medical condition: With feline AIDS (not dangerous to humans or dogs).
• Is Dusty right for you? Dusty is an extremely calm, slightly apathetic and very beautiful cat. It can be a pleasant companion without bothering you and drawing attention to itself. He will stay meekly next to you, and when you stroke him he will purr contentedly:) It is not recommended to live with other cats, unless they are also AIDS carriers. It is necessary to conduct periodical control examinations of the gums, diseased teeth are extracted. On 31.08, an 84-day treatment with the drug GS against FIP ​​ended. The general condition should be observed 84 days after.
• The story: A stray cat found in a miserable state.

Dusty’s surgery went through. All of Dusty’s teeth have been pulled out and he’s pain free! He even has a big appetite and eats with pleasure. On 23.01 there is a control examination. Dusty is still looking for adopters.

Dusty was taken in for a check-up by his foster owners. His blood work isn’t perfect, but that’s to be expected since he’s a feline AIDS carrier. And while some cats can live many years with AIDS without a problem, our boy also overcame FIP and now struggles with the effects of immunodeficiency. Dusty’s teeth and mouth have become inflamed again and the few remaining teeth have to be extracted. There are many sores in the mouth,
which prevent him from eating – that’s why he was given an antibiotic with a depot effect of 14 days. The medicine will reduce the pain and calm the overall condition of the mouth, so that after the New Year the operation can be done.

Along with this, Dusty also gets sores on his paws – again a consequence of feline AIDS. The wounds have been cleaned and treated and will soon heal.

All these cares will cost a lot of money, so we ask for your help.

Dusty arrived at his foster home in Burgas today. Calm and purring, he finally felt the warmth of a loving home:)See: Video Heartfelt thanks to his foster parents. We continued to look for Adopters. Apply to be Dusty’s Adopter

For quite a long time, no one responded to Dusty’s need to get out of the clinic, and he spent 4 depressing months behind bars in the hospital. Luckily for us, the volunteer who had adopted kitten Kolyo at a foster home helped us again and her mother will take Dusty as a foster parent in Burgas so that he can have warm winter days. From 01.10 until his departure, he was briefly in his first foster home, in Sofia. It’s hard for him to relax and believe he’s in a home, even for a little while, but he’s getting calmer every day. The only specifics of Dusty’s breeding at the moment is that he is fed mainly soft food or pellets soaked in water. Dusty continues to look for a permanent home where he can live peacefully.

Dusty has officially tested negative for Mycoplasma and is not taking any antibiotics. His last complete blood count is from today and there is nothing worrisome about his parameters.

The boy is becoming more and more relaxed with people and can’t wait for a Human to claim him so that he can transform into the beautiful cat that he really is.

Day 76/84 of GS treatment. The end is in sight… but in fact, there is still a long way to go.

Dusty’s mouth has not been good – 7 diseased teeth have been extracted, now he will be on an antibiotic for a few days. For carriers of feline AIDS, diseased gums and teeth are commonplace. It is simply necessary to observe and take timely measures.
His blood was also taken for new tests – PKK is fine, there are changes in biochemistry, but we assume that it is due to his illness. A new sample is also being sent to Germany, we hope the mycoplasma is gone. Dusty is looking for a peaceful home to recuperate.

After re-testing, Dusty still tested positive for the one Mycoplasma and is scheduled for antibiotic treatment for about a month, while continuing the GS shots for FIP.
Doubts about FIV were also confirmed – Dusty is a carrier of feline immunodeficiency virus, or in other words feline AIDS. This shouldn’t alarm us, it doesn’t change his situation much, it just makes it clear that going forward Dusty will have to live a quiet life without living with other cats or maybe with another cat who is also a FIV carrier.

Day 35/84 of FIP treatment. He tames and waits, the boredom of being in a cage is visible in his eyes … He enjoys petting and attention more and more.
He is now neutered, the treatment for Mycoplasma is over. A control test was sent to Germany.

Day 26/84 – Dusty is already gaining weight which is a very good indication. 2 weeks ago it weighed only 3600g, and now – 4300g. Meek and calm, he does not mind being in the company of the doctors’ children.

Dusty is still anemic and under observation, but the boy has a good appetite. In addition, in parallel with the treatment for FIP, two species of Mycoplasma were isolated from Dusty. Two types of antibiotics have been prescribed, one of which will be taken for three weeks and the other for a month. After the end of the course, it will be tested again for Mycoplasma. During this time, he must live isolated from other cats. When it stabilizes, teeth will also need to be extracted. Lots of work to do on Dusty…

The 84-day treatment with ampoules GS was started. The course should not be interrupted. One ampoule costs between $40 and $60 (depending on what’s available) and so far it lasts him 2.5 days.

Roughly BGN 3,000 is needed for GS medicine.

Dusty has protein in his urine, enlarged and dense kidneys, mouth infection and anemia, Feline corona virus PCR – positive. All this, in addition to the result from the German laboratory – a very high antibody titer for corona virus (20 out of a threshold of 9) – leads to his current diagnosisa, namely the notorious, severe and deadly gene mutation under the name infectious peritonitis, FIP.

Besides our dear Betty (the kitten we lost to this disease) and dozens, even hundreds of other cases, we know about the GS drug, which is expensive and sold through various and not particularly legal channels. We found a way to account for this expense, but we urgently need to collect this serious amount of over 3,000 BGN, as well as cover the costs of his stay in the clinic.

In parallel , Dusty is looking for a foster home where he can live peacefully while the 84-day treatment with daily injections takes place.

Fingers crossed for Dusty, friends!
The initial preview shows just how bad street life can be when you have no one to take care of you for long enough…

Dusty is anemic, his metrics will be monitored to see if the anemia worsens. If this is the case, he will need a blood transfusion. In addition, his kidneys are not in perfect shape either – that will be monitored as well, hopefully fixed.
His triple test is negative, but to top it off – according to a blood test, doctors suspect corona virus. It remains to be seen what will come out after they send the antibody titer test to a lab in Germany.
In the bouquet of troubles that can befall a street girl, we also add a bad condition of the teeth – when it is stable, it will be good to take out the damaged ones. A skin problem…at least there isn’t one. The coat probably falls out, because of the low quality of life. Finally, there is an old wound on one leg that has been treated.

Dusty is on antibiotics and supportive care. His condition is being monitored and the next few days will tell what’s to come from here. He is currently under medical supervision in a hospital. The good thing is that he has an appetite and does not refuse food.

Dusty is in dire need of help with his treatment and stay at the clinic.