About Emergency Animal Care & Help - E.A.C.H.

Original Facebook post May 11, 2020 - 

Written by Ayla Mader, EACH Founder:

"I need help. 

I know we're all in a precarious place, but I have to ask.

When John and I first moved into our home we realized there was already an occupant on the property. There was this old-looking, super scraggly cat that roamed around and we'd see the poor thing sleeping just in the grass in random places at random times. Mostly gray with long wispy fur. We called it 'Ghost Cat' or 'Scraggle Kitty', but besides noticing it and it running away from us if it saw us we didn't do anything.

About when all this Covid stuff started I saw that this kitty was getting SUPER skinny. I decided it needed to be fed. I started feeding it once a day. It started getting closer and closer and I noticed how patchy its fur was. It had scabs under the thinning hair and its mouth had thick oozy slobber hanging off of it. 

After about a week I noticed it wasn't gaining weight, but the slobber was gone and it started getting friendlier. It started wanting to come in the house. It started rubbing up against my leg when I'd feed it. We noticed it was feeling well enough to start hunting some of the chickens and chicks. 🙁 I decided it needed a name.

All of our cats are named after prolific jazz performers. Satchmo (Louis Armstrong), Fitz (Ella Fitzgerald) and Ruffins (Kermit Ruffins). We didn't know if this kitty was a male or female but we did know it was here first, an original, and needed a unisex name. We started calling it Billie (Billie Holiday) and eventually it found its way to the cat door, so there was no keeping it out. We put a flea collar on it and some of that over the counter flea stuff. 

I noticed it gets the eye thing Satchmo gets. It's common on island kitties and basically its like cat herpes. Every once and a while they get a watery, gunky eye. I figured that despite everything thats going on I wanted to help this kitty. After feeling so helpless about all this Covid stuff I could at least help one living thing. 

I also wanted to know if Billie was a boy or a girl. I convinced John to let me take it to the vet. Something came up so I had to cancel last minute but I reset the appointment for the next week.

About a day before the appointment we noticed Billies eye looked SUPER bad. Like, something was seriously wrong. When I took it in I explained everything (through the car window, the office part is closed and they are open but due to covid they come to your car) about the cat. I warned them that they'll most likely want to put it to sleep because its probably ancient and has too many issues but that due to the fact it eats and plays and hunts that we wouldn't want to euthanize it. Just wanted to make it more comfortable and help if there was something we could do.

They took the cat and I waited in the parking lot for 20 minutes while they did the exam. The vet comes out with a look on his face. First thing he tells me is she's a girl. Yes! We need more female energy. Fitz and I have been outnumbered for too long. 😉 Secondly, he says she's actually relatively young. Probably closer to 6 or 7 years old based off her teeth. I started feeling even more hopeful. But then he said that her eye has been badly damaged. There's a gash across it. It most likely will need to come out. Hes also worried about her lack of weight gain. The fleas were sooo bad. 

He said anyone who saw her would probably suggest to euthanize.

I explained why we didn't want to. He said then the next step would be to get a blood panel and find out if/what diseases she may have. If she was healthy enough he'd then want to operate on her eye, administer antibiotics, give her flea treatment and take it from there. I asked him how much the panel and everything but the eye surgery would cost and he quoted me between $600-700. I told him I needed to talk to John. 

John, while empathetic explained that there's no way for us to pay that much right now. I asked about how much we could pay and he agreed we could put $200. I convinced him that I would make up the rest if we put it up front. I'd sell stuff, do a gofund me, find an odd job somewhere and pay back the rest. He could hear me crying in my voice and agreed. 

The vet came back and I explained our original thought of just making Billie more comfortable. I told him that we only had $200 of our own money to put in but that I told my husband I'd figure it out for the rest. The doc told me what we could do is because what we were doing was good he'd do everything besides the testing and eye stuff for the $200!!!! He would administer fluids and antibiotics. He'd give her flea medication and me a topical med for her eye. We'd feed her and see how it goes for a few weeks. If she didn't improve or got worse we could reassess and I could work on accruing for funds then if needed. 

We came home and we noticed right off the bat she started gaining weight! The antibiotics must have worked. It's been HARD administering her eye stuff. She let's me and doesn't run away or anything, but it is gnarly. I've never seen anything like it. It started changing and looked like it was healing but it's hard to be sure. 

She sleeps in the back room where John is since he started working the covid floor. She eats twice a day, sometimes more, goes outside when she needs to use the restroom but we noticed she's sleeping more. Probably because she can't close one eye. 

It's been good until today. John just came in and said her eye is the size of a tennis ball. If we don't do anything she's probably going to die. 

So. This is me scrounging. This is me reaching out and asking if, despite all the financial insecurity going on in the world, despite the fact that there's so much suffering all over, if you would be willing to help a forgotten ghost kitty. Even if she might lose her eye or even not make it. She has become my personal "pet" project. It would mean a lot to me if you could give a few bucks.

I have pictures of her from before the treatment she got that I'll include in the comments. I will nest them because she looks really bad and her eye is horrible looking. I don't want anyone forced to see it if they don't want to. I hate seeing animals in pain. 

For the record, she acts mostly fine and we can tell she has more life in her. All of the cats get along with her. Well, except Fitz, but that's probably because she's been the unchallenged queen of the castle. 

So, would you be willing to help? Would starting a gofundme or anything even work?"

The very next day Ayla's friends and family, multiple people from all over the world, had raised over $1100 for the needed surgery.

Post on May 12th:

"Dude... I just woke up and checked the Billie stuff...YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! This kitty that was all alone, lost, forgotten is feeling love from ALL OVER THE WORLD!

I'm calling a few leads today and the vet. I'll keep you all posted. 

Thank you soooo much! I know so many of you struggle and yet you still have such generous, compassionate hearts. 

Even though this whole world has been topsy-turvey lately and so many are losing faith in humanity...dude...there is hope. THIS proves it. Billie thanks you."

and

" UPDATE:
Billie is at the vet being examined as I type this. The Maui Humane Society is unfortunately closed due to the Covid Crisis and they're not doing surgeries.  They recommended the BooBoo Zoo but we're just going with the vet route. Dr. Chad [Chad Lester, DVM,  @ Wailuku Pet Clinic] worked with us before and helped her so much just from having her there for a bit before and I trust that he'll help her to the best of his ability.

I will be updating this post with her information as we go along. I added some pics below.

Once again, thank you all soooo much. When I told them how much and how fast the funds were raised they were blown away. I told them this forgotten kitty has love and support from all over the world now and has a huge amount of people rooting for her. "

By May 18th, Billie was ready for her surgery.

"Tomorrow's the big day!!!!!

Little Billie's eye is actually looking and feeling better.  She's over on her kitty bed sleeping. We  take her in at 7:45am HST. 

Wish her luck!"

Shortly after the surgery started Ayla received some devastating news. Ayla told the story on FB in a live video.

The video states that just after the surgery started, the vet looked into her mouth to intubate her and noticed Billie had a large tumor under her eye. It was in her mouth, around her tongue and closing up part of her throat. The vet was prepared to continue with the surgery but knew the quality of life and her time would be cut short soon anyway. After quickly asking people who donated, the decision was made to end her suffering and let her go while she was already put under. Because the euthanasia was less than the surgery, Ayla asked everyone that donated what should be done with the remainder of the funds. Everyone agreed to donate it, and it went towards emergency care for people who came into the Wailuku Pet Clinic who couldn't afford treatment for their pets. Some went to Valley Isle Animal Rescue as well.  Dr. Chad and Ayla spoke many times about how while there are some similar programs, Maui needed some kind of aid to help people who came in with these heartbreaking circumstances. People who love their pets, their pets needing treatment for something they could survive and thrive after, but not having the money to do it.

Billie was able to sleep in a warm house, eat the yummy wet food, and get loves the last few months before she crossed over the rainbow bridge. Thanks to the small but many contributions from friends and family, Billie was able to give and get hope. She touched so many lives all over the world. She is now buried in the yard that she used to spend her days in. 

Emergency Animal Care & Help was created by the hope and generosity that was found during a dark time. The hope these circumstances brought into the world will now be continued and Billie's memory will live on. We hope that families all across the island get a chance to feel that love and hope.