For Pete's sake

Hey village,

As some of you may know, Sarah and I recently had a sweet kitty boy enter our lives in a sudden, unexpected, and traumatic fashion. 

2 weeks ago, Sarah heard, who we are now calling 3Pete, yowling in the woods behind our apartment. When she found him, he was not coming to greet her as he had done the two times prior we had met, but chatting back from afar. As she got closer, she saw he was hooked to a leash that was tied to a 25' outdoor tether that was wrapped around a tree. 

Assuming the cat distribution system wanted us to have this cat after coming into our lives 3 times...

We scooped him up, gave him a once over after a swamp tussle while collecting him, tucked him in away from the rest of our zoo, and headed off to WI for football.  Upon returning late Saturday (early Sunday), Pete was not walking or using his back leg.

This was our first trip to the ER vet where we discovered that Peter Pawker appeared to have been bit while in the wilderness.  We began pain meds and antibiotics before returning to check in again with the ER vet later that day (still Sunday) due to concerns of how the wound was looking and his non-use of the litterbox.  We were assured he was fine and to follow up with our vet after the antibiotics were completed.

Feeling uneasy, we scheduled a follow-up vet trip to our normal provider, Cascade Hospital for Animals, the next day.  At this appointment, we found his injuries were much more extensive than anticipated and covered most of his leg that had become severely infected, causing a 106° fever (normal for cats is 99-102). 

This resulted in extensive surgeries to remove infected tissue, nearly to the bone, and a three-night stay with Cascade.  His bandages were covered with manuka honey (Yes! Like bee honey!) to draw out infection.  Due to the amount of damage and pain correlated, he has required sedation for all processes involving the strong paw.  

Also due to the amount of damage, doctors are not sure if it is a bite or if the cord he was tied to was wrapped around his leg at some point and at this time, unsure if he would keep his leg. 

He returned home to us for the weekend on four medications for pain and infection administered 2-3 times a day.  After culturing the wound, they found that two types of bacteria were present, one of which had been resistant to the antibiotic we had been giving him for the week prior. We began a new antibiotic. 

This past Monday, he returned and had most of his wounds, save his inner thigh, sutured and a new medication added due to the stomach issues he is experiencing from the antibiotic that he must continue. 

Wednesday this week, he returned again for sedation to have his injuries and sutures checked and his paw soaked, stretched, and compression wrapped due to immense swelling.  

Doctors are more hopeful that he will keep his leg, but amputation is still not fully out of the question despite the extensive care and surgeries that have been performed.

Pete the cat returned home to us Wednesday night with five medications that require administering multiple times each day. Coupled with an upset stomach, this little guy (and his new moms) have had a hard few weeks... 

3 had another appointment this morning for similar type procedures and was able to have some bandages removed.  It has already been a long, hard road for Pawsome Pete and he will likely need care, further surgical interventions, and therapies ongoing for some time.

Understanding today's climate and the financial crisis most of us find ourselves in (due to no fault of our own), anything you are able to contribute toward helping the Chockmans pay for Pete's medical care and rehabilitation is beyond words appreciated.

Thank you to the staff at Cascade Hospital for Animals for providing Peter with exceptional care and comfort and for the kindness and assistance provided to Sarah and I.

Please also consider if you have weekends available in the coming months, where you would like to spend time with Pete and his paw.

He likes a calm, preferably dog-free, environment, and you may need to feel comfortable administering meds (as needed)... REACH OUT PLEASE! 

THANK YOU!