Help Ophelia Keep Fighting
We said yes to Ophelia. Now we need your help.
When this tiny, incredibly sick cat followed some kids home from school in the rain, a Good Samaritan posted on social media that she needed immediate help.
So, on Thursday, August 20, HSLC brought Ophelia into our care. She was severely underweight and anemic and needed round-the-clock care.
Then, on Monday morning, Ophelia’s foster found her unable to sit up and rushed her to the veterinarian. Her blood sugar had plummeted to just 17—a normal blood sugar level is around 120. Her body temperature was only 94 degrees, well below the normal feline range of 100–102.5 degrees.
Ophelia wasn’t eating and was so weak that she needed a feeding tube. And that’s when veterinarians discovered something extraordinary: the biggest nasal polyp they had ever seen. The enormous polyp was obstructing her nasal passages, making it difficult for her to breathe and swallow. They immediately removed it.
Ophelia also needed a blood transfusion due to her severe anemia.
Apollo, another HSLC cat, donated his blood. And that transfusion saved Ophelia’s life.
It has truly taken a village to keep this little cat alive: Loudoun Urgent Vet. VEG ER for Pets. Harmony Hill. Her foster family. Our Animal Care Team. Apollo. And all of you who make it possible for HSLC to say yes when an animal like Ophelia needs us.
Ophelia is not out of the woods yet but there are encouraging signs. She's grooming herself. She's able to stand on her own. And, she has shown some feistiness. Ophelia will need careful monitoring and continued treatment, but for the first time, we're able to see something we weren't sure we'd ever see:
A chance.
And, when a cat is fighting this hard to live—and when her care team believes she can recover—we can’t walk away. So, we're asking our community to help us raise $10,000 for Ophelia's care.
Because when a cat arrives barely able to stand, we don't know what her story will become.
But we do know this:
If we can give her a chance, we're going to.
Please help us cover the extraordinary care that has given Ophelia that chance.