About 1 year ago I looked out my front window and I saw three skinny cats sitting together next to an empty lot across the street. I decided to start putting out food to see if I could get them to come hang around my home and not cross the street. After about 6 months all three were coming for food. One of them is completely deaf and mostly blind but seems to get around okay. His name is Mocha. Another one was a female that appears to be in good health. Her name is Puddin. The other was a cat that I noticed was not walking correctly. His rear feet would bend under when he walked and he appeared deformed. His feet were raw and bloody. I knew I needed to get him help. I started trying to trap him, now named Dexter, and the other blind cat named Mocha since they were in the worst condition health wise. I managed to trap Puddin and then another cat that had shown up to feed, named Blue Daze and I got them vaccinated and fixed.
Dexter was always with Puddin and seemed to follow her direction as far as when to approach food and he would nuzzle her for approval. Dexter was very raw from walking on the pavement so my goal was to get them to routinely come for food and stay in the yard as much as possible. After 6 months of trying to trap Dexter, one day, it finally happened and I trapped him. Off to the vet we went. The vet was not feral friendly and told me to euthanize Dexter. I adamantly refused and asked him to fix and vaccinate him. He informed me Dexter was already fixed. That infuriated me knowing someone had owned him at one time but here he was outside living this life. The vet reluctantly vaccinated Dexter as I wished. I asked if something could be done about his legs and he said no. I asked about surgery and he said it wouldn’t help. I asked how this happened to him and he stated that he was probably born this way, received a traumatic injury, was hit by a car (however no broken bones) or he had distemper as a baby that caused a neurological dysfunction. Either way, this was how he would be for life. I knew he had quality of life because despite his handicap he still pretended to chase the squirrels. He never caught one but he loves to try.
After 10 days of isolation in a large dog crate receiving his antibiotics I finally tried to release him into a 9 ½ x 13 foot dog kennel I built on my side yard with a friend. I put on a roof, sides and several sleeping boxes for him. When I released him inside he went crazy and tried to pull his little body through the chain link fencing. Since he would never allow me to touch him I just had to pray he would get himself loose. I walked away and opened the kennel door and told him he was free and could go. A short time later I went to check on him and he was gone. The next morning he was back, alongside his friend Puddin, ready and willing to eat. I was so thankful. that was in February 2005. Since that time Dexter and Puddin routinely show up for food in the mornings and at night. Sometimes Mocha, Blue Daze and another feral that joined the group named Blue Boy, also show up to feed, but not routinely.
Three days ago (Memorial Day May 31, 2005) I went out the front door to go out for the night and Dexter was lying on his side in the bushes and I could see flies around him. When I looked closer I could see he had a huge gash about 2-3" on his left hind quarters and it was wide open and there were maggots in it. He was also very swollen and his feet were raw and bloody again. I knew I had to trap him as soon as possible to get him help. He was in pain. The next morning I did not see him or Puddin as I usually do and I feared the worst. Around 4 pm that night I put the trap out front where I feed and set it. Within a short time after Dexter came for food.. He went right in and set off the trap. A friend of mine, Kathy, came and took him to the emergency clinic for me. They did surgery to remove the maggots and dead tissue and clean up the wound. He also received IV fluids, antibiotics and pain medications and spent the first two days in the emergency hospital. June 2 my friend Kathy took him to another clinic for their post treatment evaluation. They basically only offered euthanasia. I felt in my heart that I needed to get a second opinion because I didn't believe he could not be saved. The ER Dr. didn't seem to think he needed to stay hospitalized so I was concerned as to why this vet was telling me he needed to be euthanized. I went ahead and took him home that night and kept him comfortable with some pain killers that he gave me to put in Dexter's mouth. The next day I took him to see a person I trusted that worked with the feline network who is a vet tech and the vet she works for and get their evaluation. They believe he will make it.
In March I was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. After several diagnostic tests and seeing several Dr.’s here and at Shands I am awaiting surgery. I have many bills for healthcare right now. This is really difficult for me to come up with the money to pay for all the medical care that Dexter needs. As of June 5 his medical bills are at about $750.00. The care that he is receiving now will be billed once he has recovered and I have no idea how much that will cost but I suspect about the same amount if not more. I also need to put together a new housing facility in my enclosed back yard to keep him in when he returns home since he is not adoptable. His neurological problem makes it impossible for him to defecate and pee appropriately and he cannot use his back legs properly. Right now I am looking at taking 1/2 of my back yard and having another section fenced off and placing my 9x11 foot kennel which I built originally for Dexter put back there. It has a roof and some siding on it to protect him from the environment, however, a foundation and more fencing must be prepared to accommodate him and his needs. This obviously will be another financial challenge. I have gone through some of my belongings and put out a list to offer them for sale to raise funds for Dexter. The items that I have not sold so far will be going on Ebay by a friend of mine in hopes to raise more money. If you can find it in your heart to help us I would so deeply appreciate it. You can send donations to SCFN, P. O. Box 624, Cocoa, Florida 32923 and mark in the memo section "For Dexter Reed (Tami's Feral). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading his story. Updates will be added below so please visit often.
Dexter didn’t choose to be homeless, someone chose it for him. Most likely because he wasn’t perfect, but to me he is perfect. I just hope one day I will be able reunited with him again. Prayers would also be so appreciated for this little unfortunate soul. He has been through so much!!!!
Thank you so much for caring about Dexter.