Schoharie Cats (2025)

22/09/2025

Oh no! This little one just got word that we are down to our last few cans of kitten food.
Can you help us restock?

Kitten season is still going strong which means we go through a lot of food to help rescued kittens grow big and strong! “Bunny” (pictured below) was rescued a few weeks ago from Middleburgh as an orphan at only a few days old. Her days of being a bottle baby are now over as her and siblings have weaned onto eating kitten food. Kittens may be small but their appetites surely aren’t!
If you are able to, please consider sending a box of canned kitten food their way to help us fill these little ones’ tummies! Thank you!

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3K1TO6DS604RC?ref_=wl_share

16/09/2025

We unfortunately have very difficult news to share with all of you on Stewie 💔

Stewie was hospitalized yesterday and this morning she was placed under anesthesia to get the extensive medical care she needed. She had x-rays done of her jaw that revealed the extent of the horrific suffering she had faced for so long on the streets.
The swelling in her jaw turned out to be a cancerous mass. The cancer had eaten away the whole bottom right side of her jaw including her teeth and bone and was already spreading to the left side. Between the cancer and the many maggots inside her jaw, she was truly being eaten alive.
The vet was shocked that she was still able or willing to eat.
There was no fix for this. We asked about hospice care in hopes to buy her a little more time but the vet advised against it as it would only continue her suffering which we would never do. So we made the only choice available and helped her to peacefully cross the rainbow bridge.

Stewie’s story is absolutely heartbreaking all around. How did such a friendly cat end up suffering outside in this condition? She was so loving so she must have had an owner at some point. Did they move away and leave her behind? Did her health start to deteriorate and they decided to get rid of her? How did she go un-noticed for so long? A cat like Stewie with a desperation for help too great that she only made it known to one kind person just the other day? How long did she seek help before it came? How many turned a blind eye to her suffering?
We’ll never know the answers to these questions. We will never know how she to came to end up on the streets, begging for help to relieve the immense suffering she faced day in and day out for so long. If only she could speak and tell us her full story, the truth would surely break our hearts even more.

No matter how dreary or hopeful of an outcome a cat may have when we first rescue them, we always picture what their future would be if they get one. After leaving Stewie at the vet, we imagined her future. We pictured her healed, enjoying so much love and her horrible past so far behind her. That all came crashing down when the extent of Stewie’s suffering was uncovered.
Her story is one that’s sadly all too common. Stewie’s story was written out too long before she got to us. Her being rescued did not change her outcome ultimately but it did change a lot for Stewie.
The outcome of her story is hard for all of us to hear but for Stewie, these last few hours she had were better than she has experienced in a very long time. This may be hard to see with knowing the shape she was in but a cat like Stewie is grateful for everything. She was grateful when she found a muddy puddle to drink from in the hot summer heat, a morsel of food she found on the ground that was soft enough for her to be able to choke down and take away some of the pain from her empty tummy, somebody’s porch cushion she thought was left as a bed just for her to rest her tired body and soul. We can say without a shadow of a doubt that Stewie’s past two days were the best days of her life in a long time sadly.

Stewie had every reason to give up. She had every reason to never trust another person ever again. She had every reason to become bitter and cold. Which are just a few reasons that make her story all that more soul crushing.
Despite all Stewie endured, she trusted every kind hand that reached out to her in her final hours without an ounce of hesitation. For a cat who held on to hope that help would come for so long, Stewie’s own dream came true. Somebody saw her in her time of need and rather than turning away, they explored all avenues for help they could find until they found one who would. Days ago she thought she was nobody to no one but that all changed over these past few hours when she came to know the love of of us, her finder, her wonderful veterinary team and each and everyone of you who believed she deserved a chance just as greatly as we did.

So rather than Stewie spending her final moments on the streets in agonizing pain with flies swarming her, thinking she should have given up a long time ago, she left for the next part of her journey knowing how loved she was. She knew love, a full belly, lots of pets and snuggles, a name of her very own, a reason to purr and make biscuits, her pain lessened, a cozy bed in the AC and so much more that may seem so simple to you but what felt like the jackpot to Stewie.

Rest in peace sweet girl. It was an honor to love this soul for even just this short time. Rest assured, you could never be forgotten and we will carry your legacy in helping cats just like you in getting the fighting chance they deserve, just like you.
Thank you to each and every one of you who gathered around Stewie and allowed her to have this final peace. She would thank you all personally with a loving headbutt for pets if she could 🤍🌈🪽🐾

14/09/2025

Update on the injured kitty rescued last night!

Let us formally introduce you to “Stewart”, now going by the name of “Stewie” who was named before we found out this sweet kitty is actually a girl to our surprise.

Stewie is currently being hospitalized at Burnt Hills Veterinary Hospital. Her immediate needs are being addressed and she is resting comfortably in the safety of the indoors with a full tummy until her big day tomorrow.
Tomorrow Stewie will go under anesthesia for a full work up. She has a lot going on but the first thing in order is to get x-rays of her jaw to see if this is an injury and abscess or a mass so we know how to proceed.
We won’t know the true extent of what is going on until she is put under tomorrow and the vet is able to get a close up look. Her wounds will be cleaned and the many maggots inside will be removed. If it’s an abscess it will be drained. If it’s a mass, it will be biopsied. The next steps for treatment will truly depend on the findings.

In the meantime, we are focusing on the positives that we know right now. Stewie’s heart sounds good. She has a ravenous appetite and eats like a champ despite her serious jaw/mouth issues. She is purring and making biscuits through it all! She walked out of her carrier at the vet office with confidence and immediately went to every person looking for pets. This sweet girl is a warrior and we hope so badly this is something she can recover from. She has a strong will to live and surely is grateful to have been saved.

We will keep everyone updated tomorrow after we know more! For anybody who would like to donate towards her extensive medical care, donations can be made directly to the vet office on our account for her. We are so grateful for the outpouring of support for Stewie! Thank you to each and every one of you who are making it possible for us to be able to give this gal the fighting chance she not only greatly deserves but has held on so long to be able to get.
Please send good thoughts, prayers and love her way for her big day 🤞

To donate directly to the vet office, please call Burnt Hills Veterinary Hospital at (518) 399-5213. The account is under Martha McCaffrey.

PayPal:
Venmo: -McCaffrey

07/09/2025

Thank you to all who have joined Deja Vu’s army by donating to help her get the speciality care she needs!
Tomorrow we will be scheduling her appointment to see an internal medicine specialist so we can get a better idea of what is going on with this little one so we know how to proceed to give her the best fighting chance possible!

In the meantime, many have asked what other ways they can help support Deja Vu on a day to day basis. We have created a wish list (linked below) specifically with the foods she is currently exclusively eating. Due to her megaesophagus, she requires puréed foods that are the perfect consistency for her to keep down - not too thin and not too thick but just right! It’s taken some trial and error but she has been able to keep down all of her food the past few days since starting on tiki baby puree pouches mixed with kitten formula so that is what we are sticking with.
She goes through a few pouches a day which is wonderful because she needs all the calories she can get to grow big and strong but it is a bit costly in the long term so if anybody would like to help with her food, that is greatly appreciated!

Below is a picture of Deja Vu after eating her lunch 😻
She is getting used to her new routine which is eating in an upright position and being held upright for at least 30 minutes afterwards so gravity helps the food get to her tummy. She actually really enjoys this part of her new normal as to her, it just means more snuggles!
This little one is very lucky to have such a wonderful team of people rooting her on!

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/32RAIK6GCF0KR?ref_=wl_share

05/09/2025

Alright everyone… we need your help to help save a very special little kitten!

Meet “Deja Vu”…
This little one was rescued from the East Durham colony.
Her and her brother were the only survivors of a litter of five found up inside a car at the Durham colony. The plan was for this little one and her brother to go to a rescue placement they had secured prior to being caught but that quickly changed when we realized something was critically wrong with this little one.
Deja Vu was skin and bones when rescued which sadly is common with kittens rescued from this colony. She had a ravenous appetite but was “throwing up” after eating. With being loaded with parasites when rescued, getting dewormed and adjusting onto eating kitten food, we didn’t think much of it at first. When taking a closer look at these little ones eating, we immediately got the feeling of Deja Vu from Louie, a kitten with megaesophagus we lost last year, as we watched “Deja Vu” eat a few bites of food, start gulping, looking visibly uncomfortable and then violently regurgitating the food. One episode was particularly scary to watch as Deja Vu regurgitated food out of her mouth and nose and went limp as her airways were blocked.

We got her an emergency vet appointment where she had x-rays done that diagnosed her with just what we expected… megaesophagus.
Megaesophagus is a condition that affects the esophagus’ ability to move food to the stomach. Depending on the severity, this condition is managed by elevated feedings, holding upright after eating and sometimes different medications to help with motility of the esophagus.
We began upright feedings immediately and with some trial and error, Deja Vu is finally starting to keep food down. Due to the level of care she needs, her original rescue placement doesn’t have the ability to take on her case and she would have to be euthanized.
So while we aren’t quite ready for this journey again after losing Louie and maybe we are setting ourselves up for another heartbreak as this is a tough diagnoses, we can’t give up on this little one.

Deja Vu has been referred to see an internal medicine specialist. She needs further diagnostics to rule out if this is congenital megasophagus that will be medically managed long term or if she has a condition called “PRAA” causing secondary megaesophagus. PRAA is a congenital defect causing the blood vessels of the heart to form incorrectly causing a stricture that strangles the bottom of the esophagus. If she has PRAA, this would require a lifesaving surgery at a speciality hospital such as Cornell or Tufts but it has a good prognosis. In order to know what our next steps need to be to give Deja Vu the best chance, she needs to see an internal medicine specialist for more advanced imaging. This is where we need your help!
Deja Vu’s care is a lot to take on but this sweet, spunky little one is so full of life and it wasn’t her fault the circumstances she was born into so we believe wholeheartedly she deserves a chance but we need your help to give her that!

We are hoping to pull together an army of people who believe this little one deserves a fighting chance as much as we do to make this possible!
If everyone can pull together and donate $5 or whatever you can, we will be able to move forward with the next step to help Deja Vu which is getting her in to see a specialist. Please help if you are able to. We know this little one would be eternally grateful!

PayPal:

Venmo: -McCaffrey

29/08/2025

Milo is undergoing surgery again tomorrow!

Milo’s drain was taken out a few days ago and he had a recheck at the vet where his stiches looked good. Today his stitches partially came undone leading to an emergency vet appointment that revealed that his wound healing is not progressing as it should. The plan was for his stitches to be taken out at two weeks post-op but they could be taken out at the 10 day mark technically. Today was day ten following his surgery so the skin underneath those missing stitches should have been healed together but it is not. The color of the skin edges of the wound indicate the tissue is dying off rather than healing which is why the wound is unable to stay together.

Milo is staying over at the vet tonight and will go back under anesthesia tomorrow for another wound procedure. The plan is to trim back the edges of the wound to remove any dying tissue and close the wound with healthy skin again. The hope is that this time, the skin will hold and heal together, closing the wound.

Since Milo is paralyzed, healing holds some challenges with the location of this wound facing constant friction from him scooting around. We are taking a new approach this time and the vet is going to try bandaging the wound following this surgery to try to create an extra protective layer to help with his healing. Since Milo is incontinent and needs expressed to go to the bathroom, we will have to change his bandages 3-4 times daily at home for at least two weeks while he heals from this second surgery. We may try a surgical suit on top of the bandage as well as him still wearing his cone but we have to see what he will tolerate. His “unique” personality makes these situations even trickier to navigate but we will manage!

Fingers crossed for second time’s the charm! He surely knows how to keep us on our toes at all times.

19/08/2025

Milo’s surgery was a success!

A little background on Milo’s story for those who don’t know it…
Milo is a paralyzed kitty who was found on the streets of Maryland dragging his back legs alongside his mom. He’s a true warrior to have survived on the streets like that for so long especially as just a baby. He clearly had a strong will to live and he didn’t deserve to be euthanized just because of his special needs so he made his way to us in NY to get a second chance.

Milo is a complicated case and it’s not just because of the extra care he requires due to his paralysis. Milo is a complex little dude who overcomes his physical obstacles in stride but struggles with some medical and behavioral challenges.
He’s a bit of a mystery but we did find out some new information about him yesterday.

Yesterday Milo underwent surgery to close a gnarly wound that developed overnight from a mysterious abscess he had formed on his hind left hip/leg region. With the cause of why this abscess randomly appeared being unknown, there were a lot of concerns of possible more detrimental causes that we needed to rule out.
The location and extent of Milo’s wound made things tricky but luckily, his vet team was able to clean and close the wound perfectly. This was a major relief! Milo also had a drain placed as well to help with any residual infection. Amputation of this leg to hopefully avoid future issues is something the vet is considering but that wasn’t the first option to go with this time due to the high risks of infection with the abscess.
In addition, Milo was also neutered during this procedure so no more trouble nuggets for him!

While Milo was under, he had x-rays done. While he has had x-rays done previously when he was in Maryland, we learned a lot more from this round about Milo’s internal workings.
Milo has a severe malformation of the midway part of his spine - this is likely something congenital, meaning he was born with it and the reason for his paralysis. His new set of X-rays did show us that he must have sustained a pelvic injury as a kitten during his time outside. He has an old poorly healed fracture to the left side of his pelvis and the femoral head is missing all together. This leaves us with more unanswered questions about what Milo truly went through before being rescued.
In good news - his internal back end organ systems are working well and the concern for a deeper internal issue with his intestines and re**um causing this has been wiped away. Phew!

Of course with Milo things always have to be more complex than just a successful surgery.
Milo’s pre-op bloodwork showed some concerning elevation in his BNP which is an indication of heart issues. It’s possible that Milo is facing an underlying congenital heart defect or heart disease. This is very scary news to hear, especially for just an 11 month old kitten. After Milo has recovered from this ordeal, he has been referred to see a specialist for a full cardiac work up. This will help us get a diagnosis of what is causing these concerning elevated values as well as finding out if this is just something that will just need ongoing monitoring or further treatment.

In the meantime, we don’t need to get ahead of ourselves. The main focus for now is Milo’s recovery from this surgery. He is home with the orders to rest and recover in the dreaded cone of shame. He isn’t too happy about all of that but we have assured him that he will be able to be back to zooming around in no time!
He is on an antibiotic, pain medication and anti-inflammatory medicine to help with his healing. Recovery for a paralyzed kitty with an incision site on his back end poses some challenges during the recovery process but we are figuring it out. Milo will return back to the vet on Friday for a check in to see how his healing is progressing.

Thank you to all of those who sent well wishes his way as well as for the donations made towards his costly but necessary “emergency” surgery! You have all continued to make it possible for us to help kitties like Milo get a chance that they wouldn’t find elsewhere. A huge thank you to Burnt Hills Veterinary Hospital for taking on our little challenging guy and giving him the best care!
We will keep everyone posted on Milo’s recovery and future endeavors 😸

Schoharie Cats

22/09/2025

16/09/2025

14/09/2025

07/09/2025

05/09/2025

29/08/2025

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