FKF Banfield Success Story: Gracie 2017

Meet Gracie, a 7-year-old domestic shorthair cat who gave his mom quite the scare when he slipped out one day and returned home limping. Gracie had a small wound on his leg--in fact, it just looked like just a little dab of blood--so his mom waited a day to see if it would heal. But the next day, Gracie wouldn’t stand on his leg, or put any weight on it, showing that he was in pain.

They brought Gracie to the vet where they learned that he had a puncture wound, and the beginning signs of an abscess. Abscesses are a common skin condition in cats, which often occur as a result of bites during fights but can also occur from other means, such as a cat running into a sharp object that may have bacteria on it. Abscesses are often swollen, hot, and painful for the cat when touched. If they open, a thick yellowish discharge may be seen, and this will often have a foul smell. If an abscess does not open, the cat may become ill. In cats, an abscess is often hidden under the fur, and the first sign of illness the owner may see is that the cat is acting depressed and not eating. The cat usually has a fever. If the abscess is on a leg, the cat may limp. The cat may try to bite if the area is stroked or touched because the abscess is painful. Because of the pain, some cats may appear irritable or aggressive.

Gracie’s family had just taken one of their dogs in for an emergency vet visit the week before, and are having some other financial difficulties, so they were worried that they wouldn’t be able to afford another emergency vet visit. That’s when they applied to Fur Kids Foundation for some help. 

“Gracie is my 3-year-old's best friend. He sleeps in my bed every night, and is an awesome, amazing, and wonderful cat," his mom says. Luckily, with a little TLC and medicine, Gracie is back to feeling so much better.

Fur Kids Foundation was recently awarded a $3,500 grant from the Banfield Foundation® to be used to help the Gillette, Wyoming charity with their emergency veterinary assistance program. This funding helped the Foundation grant money to help Gracie's family with the vet visit. ​If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.