48 replies to this topic

[Lilli]

Hi everyone!
My name is Lilli Fisher. I am a student living Baltimore Maryland. My cat Luna is a beautiful green eyed tabby who showed up in the alleyway behind my house about 2 months ago. I started feeding her and she became more and more loving. I quickly realized that she was pregnant. She was extremely skinny everywhere but her belly, I took her to the vet and he confirmed it. I took her in and she let me give her a bath. She adjusted to living indoors and grew fatter and fatter, though she does have a tendency to jump out of open windows at night if they are ever left open, and return first thing the next morning. On October 12th, between one AM and six AM, to my surprise, she gave birth to not three, not four but eight healthy kittens! There is one grey, two black and five tabby. They recently opened their eyes and have started getting active. A few of the kittens have been placed but I'm still finding homes for most of them, so if anyone is in need of a new furry friend feel free to contact me at >>>>(removed by moderator)><<
A few days ago I left a window ajar in the kitten room because it needed a little fresh air, I came back and Luna was gone. She had jumped out of the window, but this time it was a window on the second floor. I found her the next day unable to walk. She is still nursing, eating, and generally being a good sport about it, but she needs to have surgery in order to recover because her leg bone is inside of her pelvis and dislodged from her hip. I am a student, currently unemployed, and unable to afford the surgery. My vet recommended that I go to this organization for help. This seems like a great place full of really sincere animal lovers and I am glad to be a part of it.
Thank you so much for your time,
-Lilli

Edited by Melissa IMOM, 08 November 2011 - 11:33 AM.

[Judy]

Go to the financial aid section of IMOM and follow it step by step...get your paperwork ready...it sounds as if your vet is already familiar with IMOM so that step is covered...BLESS YOU for saving Luna's life....as soon as you read this get busy and GOOD LUCK...Once you've gotten the paperwork in IMOM will contact you via email...not the forum...Judy

[Melissa 1]

Diagnosis: "leg bone is inside of herpelvis and dislodged from her hip"
Low end of Estimate:$1943   $1500
Owner already spent: $250+
Owner's Contribution: $1000

IMOMs Fundraising Goal: $981 (includes 4% for IMOMsoperating expenses)
AS OF  11/9/11 at 11:16AM fund raising goal has changed: $520 needed (includes 4% for IMOMs operating expenses)

S/N: No, cannot be done at this time but will be done as soon as she is well & able to be spayed.
Volunteer case worker: Melissa

ALL FUNDS HAVE BEEN RAISED!

Luna Fisher is a kitty from MD. Aprox2 yrs old. You can see from her mom's entry that she is hurt. She is luckily still nursing her babies. It is my understanding that the Doctor tried a sling and it did not help the hip heal. It is not healing properly at all from my discussions with the doctor.  Due to this, it is causing Luna pain and suffering. She cannot walk.  If the hip has healed incorrectly too much they will need to use plates and screws instead of just wire which will increase the cost. We need to get this surgery moving quick so that wire can be used which will keep the cost where we are. Quality of life is a huge concern here.

We need to raise these funds by Friday. The Goal is Thursday night so that Luna can have surgery Friday morning. IMOM Angels, we can do this.  
Surgery is going to be Tuesday morning. We need to raise these funds by Monday night. The new vet is seeing Luna Monday and will do surgery Tuesday!


Any size donation can be made http://imom.org/donate_to_a_pin.htm

Please designate your gift to"GF-Luna Fisher". Every penny is appreciated to help this Pet InNeed.  If you want to donate directly topaypal you can use paypal@imom.org as the email address to donate to. Just please put in a note that you want your funds directed to Luna Fisher!

If you cannot donate, feel free to cross post and share Luna's story.

Melissa/IMOM

( Note: fund updates will be posted as time allows. Please be patient with us, as we do this manually)

Attached Files

•  lunaandkittens4.JPG   2.01MB   19 downloads

[Kim]

Lilli, on 03 November 2011 - 02:11 PM, said:

On October 12th, between one AM and six AM, to my surprise, she gave birth to not three, not four but eight healthy kittens! A few of the kittens have been placed

Lilli,

When you say "placed," do you mean that those kittens have actually gone to new homes already?  If so, they were at most  4 wks old and that's WAY too young.  At that age they're usually not weaned and eating on their own yet.  If you have prospective adopters, fine, but please don't send the kittens to new homes just yet.  It's illegal in MD to adopt out at less than 8 wks of age and it's detrimental to the kittens to take them away from mom at 4 wks.  I'm not going to get into why your vet didn't spay Luna, but now that 8 more cats need homes, please place them responsibly.  In addition to screening adopters (find out their previous history with animals, etc.), it's best to spay/neuter and vaccinate the kittens then charge an adoption fee.  It ensures that the kittens WILL be S/N'ed -- i.e., not another Luna situation -- and charging an adoption fee provides some assurance that the people are willing and able to spend money on a cat.  

There are low-cost clinics in MD that do early-age S/N (8 wks of age/2 lbs).  I can give you info on that if you're willing to S/N before adoption.

[Melissa 1]

Thanks Kim!  That's awesome to help with S/N places.  Great ideas.

I don't think she meant they are given away, I think she meant after they are weened she has homes secure for some.  


In the mean time we need to get momma Luna well!  Thank you all that have already shared Luna's story!  

Melissa/IMOM

[Judy]

Luna needs our help...and how lucky she was to be taken in by someone that cared for her even though she was pregnant!!!

HOW LUCKY SHE IS...

Now...because of no fault of her own, she needs surgery to be a happy, healthy kitty again...she needs surgery by Friday...and her new Momma has gotten more than half of the funds needed to get her fixed up...can't we help her get the balance??

IF you can't donate, that's OK, but could you please pass on Luna's story to others and ask them to do the same?  

The forum is a little hard to figure out in the beginning...so wouldn't it be a nice surprise for Luna's Mom to see a few welcome posts here for her??  Judy

[Lilli]

This is Lilli Fisher with Luna. Luna is a beautiful and sweet cat with a loving disposition and a strong heart. When I found her in the alley way behind my house she was starving and wet. She was afraid to approach me at first, but quickly learned to trust me. She started showing up everyday and I would bring her food. At first I thought she might have a distended belly because of malnutrition but once she started to let me hold her I realized she must be pregnant. I decided she need to become an indoor cat in order to assure the safety of her kittens. Luna has since become a major part of my life. She wakes me up every morning and always greets me at the door when I come home. All of my families pets died in a house fire four years ago. We had two dogs and two cats. One of the cats, named Penny Lane, was a cat that I adopted when I was fifteen. She and I were pretty much inseparable. Since Penny's death I have had a gap in my life but felt unable to simply go and adopted a new cat. When Luna showed up outside my house it was three days before my birthday. I consider her a birthday present from the universe. I needed her and she needed me.
On October 2nd she gave birth to eight healthy kittens. I when I was nine I watched my cat Rita give birth. She only had six kittens and one of them died a few days after birth. I expected that since for most of her pregnancy Luna was homeless that her kittens would not do so well. I was thrilled when they all came out healthy, and that they have continued to grow and be happy little kittens. I was thankful to a help in there survival and cannot bear imagine what would have happened to them had Luna not been taken in. The kittens and Luna are a joy in my life.
Luna, being a stray, does have her need for space. After two weeks she needed some space from the kittens and jumped out the second story window. I don't think she was able to conceptualize the fact that she was on the second floor. Right after I got her she jumped out the first story window one night and returned in the morning unscathed. I learned to keep the downstairs windows shut at night. I left the upstairs window ajar because I felt the room needed a little fresh air. I thought there was no way she would jump from that height. I came back later however, and she was gone.
I searched and search for her, but it was raining and she was hiding somewhere. I found her the next morning unable to walk.
I took her to the emergency vet immediately. I had to borrow a cat carrier from the very sweet woman who owns the local pet store Howl because I didn't have enough cash on hand to pay for one that morning. I am a student and survive on very minimal funds. I knew this could be a problem when taking in Luna but felt that she needed me.
The doctor took some X-rays. Her hip bone was inside of her pelvis. The operation he said, would cost anywhere from 1900 to 2900. I simply could not afford it. He told me about Imom and I have been trying to get the ball rolling ever since. The time it's taken to get this started has already had a detrimental effect on Luna and I feel horribly guilty for this. Her injury is healing in the wrong position and if the doctors do not operate soon then it will become more expensive or even impossible. I don't want Luna to have to suffer because I took her in instead of someone who was more monetarily stable. Please help me to help her and her kittens who need her much more than I do
Thank you so much for your time
Lilli

Edited by Melissa IMOM, 08 November 2011 - 02:34 PM.

[Melissa 1]

NEWS: Luna has $30.00 raised!   That is $951 more to go!

That's a great start! Thank you everyone who has helped. Please spread the word for this little momma too so we can get her all fixed up.

Melissa/IMOM

[Judy]

Lilli, what a wonderful story...Luna is SO lucky for you to have found her...

Now...we'll get busy and start working to raise funds for your girl...

What color are the kittens? I love both dogs and cats but I don't think there is anything cuter than a kitten...Judy

[Lilli]

By placed I meant I have two people specifically, hopefully more soon, I know and trust who have come to the house played with the kittens and gotten attached to one in particular and are planning to take their respective kittens home after 8 to 10 weeks have passed and they are weaned and ready to leave there mother. I have made clear to these prospective owners that in order to take home a kitten they must agree to have it spayed or neutered. I adopted Luna after she was pregnant. The cat I had as a child who was pregnant escaped the house while in heat when she already had a surgery date set up. I intend to spay Luna as soon as the kittens are weaned. All the pets that have ever been in my family have been spayed or neutered, and I realize the importance of this.
Currently Luna is sleeping in sleeping in my lap. Looking very cute, and they kittens are all curled up together in their bed.

[Lilli]

There is one grey kitten the first born, Astro. Two black, the runt Pluto and also eclipse. There are four tabbies, one that is the fluffiest and has a big head his name is Apollo, one that is fluffy with a white belly and paws named Stella, one that has shorter hair and little white toes named Sol, one that is darker on her back a bit fluffy Nova and one that is a little smaller and has a really stripy belly named Saturn.
Thanks so much for the help!
-Lilli

[Judy]

I LOVE tabbies...and everyone here at IMOM is partial to LBK's...Lilli, I don't know if you know or not, but IMOM stands for in memory of Magic, a VERY SPECIAL little black cat...his Mom, Jacki promised to do what she could for pets in need in his honor.....

So...with   waching over all of the kittens and Luna...how could we not help???  

I am going to be off the forum for awhile but will check in as soon as I get home...

Keep up the GOOD WORK posting...it's most important.

By the way...have you applied to:

Red Rover (which was formally United Animal Nation)

and also

Cats in Crisis

both are Internet groups...and why not try...they may have funding...the more help the better...Judy

[Melissa 1]

I have horrible news to report......  Luna cannot get surgery until Tuesday.  The vet could not get the surgeon to come in before then.  I am so disappointed.  But after looking at the calendar, I bet it had something to do with Friday being a holiday.  

So that means we have a little extra time, but we still need to raise the funds.  The vet believes its going to take an extra $300-$500 because now it's been so long since the accident and a plate is going to be necessary.  We are up in arms about what to do about this..... we are working best we can to help Luna and her mom. We will keep you posted on what we find out, if we have other options.  

But for now we still need $951 more to go!

Melissa/IMOM

[Melissa 1]

Luna's mom Lilli - please check your email and get back to us please.

Melissa/IMOM

[Judy]

We are going to work this out...I know it...this is a bump in the road...even though it's kind of a big bump...we'll figure things out...We're all in this together...Judy

[Judy]

Wondering how Luna and the babies are doing today...

What a lucky girl to have a new home and a safe place to take care of the little ones....Jud

[Melissa 1]

Lillian,

We really need you to reply to our emails.  Please, check your email.

Melissa/IMOM

[Melissa 1]

I have some fantastic new to report you guys:
NEWS:   Thanks to a wonderful IMOM supporter/donor, we have found a new vet for Lillian to take Luna to. The worst case scenario price is way less than the original vet. WHICH MEANS: We only have $490 more to go to secure funds for Luna to get into surgery Tuesday. (Monday she will be brought to the vet, and surgery Tuesday!).

I know a lot of you have been wondering "where's Melissa!" Well, I'm here, I was just sorting out all the logistics in the back   So now we are ready to rock N roll and raise those funds.  

Please cross post everywhere you can and network Luna.   Let's show Lillian how we can raise those funds quick so that she has no more worries about this happening.    

To Donate please go to:  http://imom.org/donate_to_a_pin.htm    Please note its for Luna Fisher!
You can also pay directly to paypal@imom.org through Pay Pal.  

Thank you everyone!
Melissa/IMOM

Edited by Melissa IMOM, 09 November 2011 - 02:28 PM.

[Lilli]

Hi, so sorry for the delay, I was in class all morning and on the phone with the vet. Luna is doing well this today, she greeted me at the door when I came home as usual. The kittens are becoming active. They all run to gate when I come in. We have found a better, more personal and less expensive vet, due to the help of the amazing people here at IMOM. Kim and Melissa, I cannot thank you enough, and everyone else too. I have not been living in baltimore very long, and most of the time have not been living with any pets so I was not very well informed about the vet options. The vet I originally went with was rated best in baltimore paper, but turned out to be difficult to work with and over priced. I am much happier now with the Maryland Veterinary and Surgical Services. They seem much more personal and willing to work with people on an individual level. I am going now to call the first vet to get Luna's x-rays and then prepare for my next class at four. I will have a dinner break at six during which I can check the forum, and then I will be back in class until 10.
Thank you so much for you help, your time, and your compassion
-Lilli

[Melissa 1]

Well that says it guys, let's see what we can do to raise some of these funds while she is in class....lets surprise her

Plus I love to post NEWS updates!

Melissa/IMOM

[Sarah IMOM]

I'm so happy that we were able to find a vet who could do the surgery for less and cap the price so we knew specifically what we had to fundraise for!  What a lot of nail bitting in the back ground waiting to figure out if this would all work.  I'm so thrilled it has!   The other vet's hands were tied as well - because it was a traveling surgeon they would use and there was a very large cancelation fee if we didn't raise the money in time and had to cancel surgery.  It wasn't the other vet's fault - just a situation that we weren't able to work around.  Thanks to Kim who was able to send us to another vet who works with rescue groups and was able to  work better with our payment policy.   Anyway - less money, same surgery and Luna's mom is comfortable with the change - YAHOO!  

I've been so worried about Luna - nursing her babies with a broken hip! It just sounds so sad and so painful.  I remember nursing my babies with no broken bones and it's a bit of an adjustment when you're feeling well.  I'm thrilled to know that Luna hasn't just given up nursing the kitties!!! You're doing great Lilli! Hang in there - we MUST GET THIS MONEY RAISED!  I know Magic wouldn't bring Luna to Lilli and not help out for the surgery.  Come on guys - let's show Luna what happens here at IMOM!  

[Judy]

YAY YAY YAY....that's all I can say...

NOW, we need to get busy...Lilli has a heart of gold, you can see that...taking in a stray that was pregnant is a noble deed in itself...and now having to deal with a major surgery coming up...

She's at school right now and she'll be checking back in later...she's still managing to get things done...let's see what we can do for her and Luna...

THANK YOU Kim and IMOM for going the extra mile to work an IMOM Miracle...I think I posted earlier that Magic was watching over this one...Judy

[cgerrans]

Sending Luna $100

[Melissa 1]

NEWS: $160 has been raised for Luna.  That means $360 more to go. Very nice!!!


Thank you IMOM Angels! Thank you to everyone on this thread helping Luna!!!


Melissa/IMOM

[Melissa 1]

NEWS:.....ready for this?   $455 raised!      We only need $65.00 more.  You guys are truly amazing!!!!

We might be at all funds raised before Lillian gets back from class....she will be thrilled. Over thrilled I am sure!   We can try at least.  $1.00 here and $5.00 here helps to get to that end result!

Melissa/IMOM

Edited by Melissa IMOM, 09 November 2011 - 05:32 PM.

[Melissa 1]

Oh this is so fun!!!!!
NEWS:.....$505 raised!      We only need $15.00 more.    YEAAAAAAAAA!


Thank you to everyone again, for everything you do for us here at IMOM and for our Pet IN Needs!

Melissa/IMOM

[Laurie IMOM]

Thanks to everyone who has donated, Luna is at All Funds Raised!



Woooo-hooooooooo!!!!!!!! Happy banana dance!

[Lilli]

Thank everyone so so much for your help!!! This is amazing. I am so relieved! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
-Lilli

[Lilli]

Luna's doing fine this morning. She's about the same as she has been, always a trooper. The kittens are learning to climb and becoming more rambunctious, but very cute. The first vet told me they would email the x-rays to the second vet, so we should be all set for monday. Thanks everyone for your help.
-Lilli

[Judy]

I am so glad that Luna is being so strong....and the kittens are doing well...just think how she's going to do after she's had her surgery...

We can begin counting down...4 days until she's at the vets...and then she will be monitored and prepped for her surgery...

I am so happy for you both...Luna is a special girl...and bravo to you for the great job you did getting her help!  Judy