It was a spring day in Arkansas when a woman discovered an elderly cat on a restaurant patio in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas.
The woman immediately noticed something wasn’t right.
The poor cat appeared to be in pain and struggled to move.
He was in horrible condition and desperately needed help.
Hoping for the best, she posted his picture online to see if there was an owner looking for him.
What happened next shocked everyone…
Keep reading to learn how this sweet cat was saved from a tragic fate.
Rushing to Safety
The woman who found the cat knew that she needed to act fast.
After no one claimed him online, she brought him to Sarah Richardson of Community Cats of Central Arkansas.
The woman who discovered him met up with Sarah and transferred the cat, whom she had named Oscar, over to her care.
“When he got here, he was in really rough condition,” Sarah shared. “I put him on IV fluids and such all night before taking him to the vet the next day.”
Sarah managed to keep his condition stable until they got to the vet.
When she learned what had happened to him, she was heart broken…
The Truth Revealed
It did not take the vet long to figure out what was wrong with Oscar.
“The vet said that he had been poisoned,” Sarah said. “His kidneys were in failure and he couldn’t filter any fluids because of the poison.”
Sarah was shocked. Who could be so cruel to poison Oscar?
Had he been found a few hours later, he might not have made it.
“We weren’t sure that he would survive through the weekend,” Sarah said. “But, we did daily IV fluids and gave him antibiotics.”
Sarah was not ready to give up. She was going to do everything she could to save Oscar’s life.
Taking Action
In addition to treating his failing kidneys, the vet also began treating some issues in Oscar’s mouth that were causing infections.
It soon became clear these issues were going to require surgery. However, the decision of whether or not to operate was complicated.
“They weren’t sure if he would survive [the surgery] because he’s an estimated 17 years old,” Sarah said. “He was under 7 pounds and severely anemic.”
Oscar needed the surgery in order to survive, so they went through with it.
Thankfully, he pulled through!
Road to Recovery
Sarah kept Oscar on a heating pad and IV fluids after his surgery as his body slowly recovered..
Having recovered from his surgery, Oscar is now poison free and no longer has infections in his mouth!
His kidneys have suffered permanent damage from the poison, but they are functional for the time being.
“He’s almost 8 pounds now, so he’s gaining weight,” Sarah said.
A Fighting Chance
Oscar will never fully recover from being poisoned.
Sarah knows his life has been cut short, but she will keep him safe and comfortable for the remainder of his golden years.
Oscar is now enjoying life with Sarah and her family. He seems to be the only one that doesn’t realize he’s a senior!
“He’s jumping up on everything and eating great,” Sarah shared. “He loves people. He loves attention.”
Sarah continues to watch him closely and give him treatment for his special needs.
Oscar loves his new home and he’s so thankful to have been saved.
Happily Ever After
While Sarah usually adopts out her healthy foster cats, Oscar will remain with Sarah for the rest of his days.
The rest of Sarah’s foster cats are happy to share their space with Oscar. They are all so happy he pulled through.
“We’re really proud of his progress,” Sarah shared. “At the age of 17, we’re very impressed and we think he has quite a bit of life left in him.”
Thanks to Sarah, Oscar lives knowing he will never be treated cruelly again.
About Our Hero
Sarah Richardson is one of the few people in Arkansas that rescues elderly cats with special needs.
If it wasn’t for Sarah, cats like Oscar would be euthanized or die a painful death on the streets.
Sarah is committed to giving a second chance to cats that other rescuers turn down.
Sarah is entirely self funded and relies on kind-hearted individuals to help continue her life-saving missions.
If you’d like to help, click here to donate food and supplies directly from her Amazon wishlist.
Click here to make a donation toward a cat’s medical needs.
At a small cost, you can help Sarah continue to rescue cats that would otherwise be neglected.
Please follow her on Instagram to keep up with her latest rescue cats!
Melissa
Monday 17th of May 2021
Wish there were more folks like you! I commend you for all your dedication! Thank you for sharing Oscars story, I’m glad he has you n his life. Huge Thank You!!!
Allesi
Monday 17th of May 2021
Thank the Lord for people like you, you was Oscars angel and I want to say thank you for saving this sweet babies life I hope the person who poisoned him will pay for what he or she did to this beautiful senior cat. Oscar you are amazing and I'm so thankful to the lady that got him to the Vet in time to save his life. God Bless You... Oscar I love you and am so happy you pulled through..
Kim Pettigrass
Wednesday 29th of July 2020
Thank you so much for saving Oscar♡
Michael Freitas
Friday 24th of July 2020
I am always amazed at how cruel and inhuman people can be. I just can't imagine poisoning any animal. I am so glad that Oscar was rescued and is safe and happy and doing well. Thank You and God Bless You and Oscar Always and Forever. Best Wishes and Take Care ??
Mary
Thursday 23rd of July 2020
What a wonderful person for rescuing this cat and what a great person to take care of this cat.