You'd better believe I'm going to start a "Caption this pic" thread for this one!
Posted on 10/17/2004 9:41:35 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows
Miracle ‘Matson’ making comeback
The all-but-dead kitten is recovering thanks to some animal lovers
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By Pat Gee pgee@starbulletin.com
Matson, a newborn kitten who survived 10 days without food and water in the cold of a Matson shipping container, has probably used up eight of its nine lives, says Tedra Villaroz, founder of Joey's Feline Friends.
The "miracle" kitty has made it through a tenuous six weeks against all odds, says Villaroz, founder of the rescue shelter in Kaneohe.
In late August, a Safeway employee brought Matson, barely alive, in to Kahala Petland, where Villaroz sets up an adoption table on Saturdays.
The employee, who chose to remain anonymous, told Villaroz the container driver "kept hearing noises" from a sealed container that was delivered to Safeway, Villaroz said.
He opened the door and found two dead kittens, one barely breathing (which eventually died), and Matson. After seven freezing days on the ocean, and a few days sitting on the docks under the beating sun, Matson employees kept saying "there's no way" the kitten could have survived, Villaroz said.
"This is a real miracle story ... This is an amazing kitten. Usually they die of cold when they're that little," she said.
The gray and white kitten was so young that she "still had her eyes closed," and weighed six ounces when Villaroz first saw her.
Villaroz and her staff tube- and bottle-fed her the first few days round-the-clock, and kept her warm. She then faced the dilemma of having to quarantine the kitten, flying her back to Oakland, or euthanizing her. She called her friend, Dr. Jenny Brundage, who works at the Companion Animal Hospital in Kailua, which works with the animal quarantine station to take care of debilitated animals.
Brundage has been caring for Matson since late August, and the kitten now weighs two pounds.
"She was ice cold, and near dead when they found her, but she had a very strong will to survive," Brundage said. "She survived on essentially her own reserves. She should've died of dehydration but she didn't,"
A collection has been started to pay the kitten's quarantine fees, which are $20 per day for 120 days.
"We're not worried about not coming up with the money ... because we're not doing this to get paid, we're doing this because it's the right thing to do. Feline Friends said it would be responsible for her even if no one comes up with the money," Brundage said.
And there's already a long line of people who've helped with her care asking to adopt her after she finishes her quarantine period.
You'd better believe I'm going to start a "Caption this pic" thread for this one!
Wow! That's one tough - and lucky - kitty!
[Freepmail me to get on or off the Kitty Ping List.]
Thanks for posting this story. Now the next time our cat squawks about not getting fed for 2 or 3 days, I'll just say, "Quitcher cryin'. Just be thankful you're not that Mattson cat."
Nice cat story ping.
Love this story!
Awww! Very cute very mixed breed kitty.
Hamming it up for the camera, Go-KITTY Go-KITTY
What a beautiful, tough little cat! How do I get on her adoption list?!
Heard the story on AM radio - made natioanl news.
But how do you get it to listen?
Great story...Thanks!
Bump, Rock on, Quat.
There's adoption info at the source link, but the waiting list is pretty long.
Caption thread for the pic:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1248416/posts?page=5
I presume you could call the quarantine facility here and offer to ransom her and pay the flight back to Seattle. I did the math- total for quarantine for this little kitty is $2400 if she stays the full 4 months. They finally revised the medieval quarantine laws here so if you know you're coming and jump through the right hoops the little beasties can avoid it now. Poor Matson didn't jump through the hoops obviously.
And to think we thought the approximate $1000 in vet fees, quarantine fees, and flight we paid 3 years ago to bring our pet cat here was ridiculous.
Now THAT'S a Viking Kitty!!!
My pleasure. You wouldn't believe where I found it!
All your Matson container are belong to us!
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