Last Tuesday, I got a call from Chris at the café that broke my heart. Out of nowhere, little Elenor — one of the sweetest kittens we’ve ever had — was having trouble walking. She kept falling over, and her tiny head was bobbing side to side.
If you’ve visited CatPurrccinos over the past couple of months, you’ve probably met Elenor. She’s the kitten who would run straight up to greet you, curl up in your lap, or climb onto your shoulders to get a better view of the world. She’s pure love and curiosity wrapped in fur.
When Chris called, we rushed her to the emergency vet (see paperwork below) for evaluation. Heartbreakingly, Elenor was already pre-adopted and was supposed to go to her forever home this week.
At the clinic, the vets presented us with a few possible diagnoses: Cerebellar Abiotrophy, FIP, Toxoplasmosis (Toxo), or toxins. We ruled out toxins right away — there’s nothing at the café she could have gotten into. They wanted to do additional testing, including an MRI, but the cost — over $6,000, on top of the $2,000 already spent — was beyond our means. The only other option they offered was euthanasia.
In that moment, I questioned everything — why I do rescue, how it can lift your heart one day and break it the next. But we couldn’t give up on her. I asked if it might be Toxoplasmosis, and we decided to start her on Clindamycin.
And incredibly… she began to improve.
Even though her Toxo test came back negative, Elenor has been getting a little stronger each day at home. The vets still recommend an MRI in the future, but for now, she’s happy, purring, and being carefully confined so she won’t hurt herself.
Below are some videos of her journey, and if you’d like to help support Elenor’s ongoing care, we’ve included a link to donate. Every bit helps — not just for her, but for the many rescue cats who come through our doors looking for love and a second chance.
Thank you for always being part of our CatPurrccinos family.