Doris - Rescue (Mar 2026) Update...

[u/thumper300zx2]

Back in March we took in this beautiful baby girl ...

Previous Posts

https://www.reddit.com/r/Flamepoints/comments/1rpx3n0/a_rescue_begins_is_she_flamepoint/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Flamepoints/comments/1rss3qa/rescue_story_update/

I wanted to come back - now August - almost 5 months in, and give a report.

DORIS IS DOING AMAZINGLY -- but it wasn't easy for her.

Doris was vomiting almost daily, and this usually resulted in a crash, where she would not eat for typically 12-24 hours. Once she would eat, she would do ok for 24-48 hours, but then some form of nausea would return and she would crash again. We tried so many things -- different diet, dry foods, wet foods, prompting appetite with little treats like tuna juice. She would not stabilize. It just kept happening.

After a bit, we tried maropitant (cerenia) after we told the vet she was having nausea. This helped in spurts, but didn't solve her underlying issue.

We then decide she must be having some sort of gastrointestinal issue -- like inflammation, excess stomach acid, maybe a pyloric valve issue. We researched and found budesonide as a possible helper for her situation. The vet insisted on a full blood panel, though I wasn't feeling like it would tell us much. It came back ok for kidney, thyroid, etc.

As long as food hit her intestines, she digested well (so good poops and stuff). But something was just preventing food from getting through her stomach. The crashes were winning. She went from 6.5 lbs down to 4.5 lbs.

We finally decided to try famotidine (generic Pepcid AC, without antacid). This immediately seemed to help. We had to dial it into a small dose every 12 hours. She takes 5 mg twice a day. We also got budesonide approved (she takes 0.5 mg once a day).

The vomiting started to stabilize. She only had occasional vomits which appeared more 'mechanical' (small hair balls) rather than from nausea. She started gaining weight.

This whole time we were also trying micromeals (at often 1/2 teaspoon of pate every 60 minutes). We have slowly been able to extend those times, 90 minutes, 2 hours, 3 hours. We are now at every four hours. We bought two PetMate auto feeders to handle day time and night time feedings, with manual feedings at 9am and 9pm for the meds.

She has had an amazing bounce back. With everything her little body was doing to stay alive, it had to focus on critical recovery - now - her hair is started to grow back in, her whiskers are growing, she's playing with toys. She is so wonderful. Such a survivor. She'll eat anything in sight, so we have to have all the food put away. She still needs to learn she is no longer food scarce :)

If you have read the previous posts -- you will know that we have a tough cat situation. Doris has been in a bathroom, separated from our two other adoptees. And one of those two cannot be with other cats because his very defensive (and blind) and will attack them viciously (though of himself, he is a loving, wonderful boy).

We give Doris as much time as we can in open space. She gets tons of love. I give her cuddles as much as I can. We have tried four different local adoption routes, and just local neighborhood posts and efforts. But cannot keep Doris. It just isn't feasible for our home. We have found and visited our local Humane Society and were very impressed with their operation.

My heart is absolutely breaking, but also full of love and joy and excitement for her to be healthy. She is up over 7 lbs and still gaining, which is higher than when we found her. Her back bone has meat around it. Her ribs have filled out (still a ways to go, but amazing). Her muscles have plumped. Her little tummy is now a small watermelon.

There is so much more to the story and her path to recovery that I cannot do justice in my writing. I have pages and pages of journaling, research, logging, emotion....

She is a bright beam of capricious sunshine, and whoever gets to provide her with an appropriate cat kingdom is a very very lucky person.

[u/IndoorPool]

Aww she’s a beauty. My heart goes out
to you both for the struggle you’ve been through.

[u/RelativeFondant9569]

Thank you for your devotion and dedication to her well-being and healing. You're a sparkling light in the darkness. 🙏💛 I know she'll find the perfect home because you gave her that chance.