Remember Halo, the blind, wobbly special needs kitten that was rescued after security footage showed her being dumped at a park?
Halo bravely underwent surgery and emerged triumphant, but her path took an unexpected turn for the worse when her veterinarians discovered that her tumor was cancerous.
Before surgery, her vets felt confident that it would be a benign tumor as it was unlikely for a kitten as young as Halo to develop cancer.
“They said it was a rare type of tumor,” said Sarah Richardson, rescue coordinator for Community Cats of Central Arkansas. “But wouldn’t have known her tumor was cancerous until they removed it and took a biopsy.”
When the pathology came back and showed that her tumor was cancerous, they chose to move forward with cancer treatment.
At first, Halo’s body reacted well to the treatment. Then suddenly, things took a turn for the worse.
She started having seizures again, leading them to suspect that Halo was either reacting poorly to her treatment or that a piece of the tumor growing back.
There were simply too many unanswered questions and Sarah worried that without those answers, Halo wood needlessly suffer.
Considering how tiny Halo was, there was a limit to how much she could handle.
They chose to let her live out her life as a long-term hospice cat in the comfort of her foster home.
“Halo’s foster mom was determined to give her the best quality of life” said Sarah. “She wanted to make sure Halo felt loved and safe for the remainder of her life.”
Her cancer treatment was discontinued and they focussed on preventing her seizures.
This improved her quality of life and she was much happier as a result.
In fact, her wobble improved significantly and she was able to play and climb instead of laying around sick.
Despite their best efforts, the day arrived when Halo peacefully crossed the rainbow bridge.
“Her foster loved her dearly,” said Sarah. “She adored Halo from the beginning and wanted to adopt her since day one.”
Halo’s loss left everyone feeling empty, but they took comfort in knowing the last few months of her life were filled with happiness and a sense of belonging.
Before she was rescued, she had only known how cruel humans could be. She was dumped in a park to fend for herself, hungry and blind.
They made sure that she experienced the compassionate side of humans; one where she experienced the joy of play, the warmth of being held, and the comfort of living in a safe, loving home.
She started to trust humans, realizing that there were people who wanted to help her instead of harm her.
Community Cats of Central AR would like to thank you for supporting Halo’s treatment and hospice care.
Though her time was cut short, your donations ensured that her final chapter was spent playfully and peacefully.
Your compassion made a lasting difference in her life, giving her the opportunity to create beautiful memories surrounded by people who loved her unconditionally.
Her story serves as a reminder of the profound impact compassion can have on a precious life, no matter how brief it may be.
A Voice for The Voiceless
Donations benefit Community Cats of Central Arkansas, a small 501(c)3 non-profit that rescues and rehabilitates cats that are victims of cruelty, neglect, and abandonment in a rural part of Arkansas with high animal cruelty rates and limited resources.
If you’re not already, we hope you consider becoming a monthly donor to our Meow Mail program to help future rescue cats & kittens live happily ever after!
See more of their incredible rescue cases by following Sarah Richardson, rescue coordinator for Community Cats of Central AR, on Instagram and Facebook.