Bringin' it back Blizzard
This page is dedicated to Blizzard, now a Sanctuary Cat, and her recovery.
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A little background
Blizzard Calypso is a wonderful cat all the way.
She has been what we at ALPRAS call a ‘Hero Momma’.
She has raised many kittens that were never her own. She has done the extremely rare and even milked for some sick and needy kittens though having never had a litter herself and having been spayed before her first heat. She has proven a valuable friend to many a suffering foster or sanctuary cat and helped guide them through rehabilitation. She has been selflessly giving of herself and her time to those animals in need. She has even done the same for dogs and puppies. Blizzard can be insanely patient with people and animals in general. She herself is an on the go inquisitive type cat. You may find her asleep somewhere or on top of a door. (Yes, we literally mean the top of a door!) She is intelligent and though not a troublemaker, can find herself in the occasional predicament. She loves watching nature, chasing bugs, frogs, and lizards (and making some of them gifts for you), watching/chasing birds and squirrels (from the safety of a catio), and sunbathing. Blizzard can walk on a leash/harness set which has drawn many bemused stares. She doesn’t have much formal training, but she will go out and walk a ways, stop and chew on some grass, try to capture a bug etc. It was unexpected to have her come back to us, but thanks to a loving and wonderful Good Samaritan she was able to come home to ALPRAS. She has always had a permanent place in our hearts & now she has one as well here, as a Resident Sanctuary Cat.
She has been what we at ALPRAS call a ‘Hero Momma’.
She has raised many kittens that were never her own. She has done the extremely rare and even milked for some sick and needy kittens though having never had a litter herself and having been spayed before her first heat. She has proven a valuable friend to many a suffering foster or sanctuary cat and helped guide them through rehabilitation. She has been selflessly giving of herself and her time to those animals in need. She has even done the same for dogs and puppies. Blizzard can be insanely patient with people and animals in general. She herself is an on the go inquisitive type cat. You may find her asleep somewhere or on top of a door. (Yes, we literally mean the top of a door!) She is intelligent and though not a troublemaker, can find herself in the occasional predicament. She loves watching nature, chasing bugs, frogs, and lizards (and making some of them gifts for you), watching/chasing birds and squirrels (from the safety of a catio), and sunbathing. Blizzard can walk on a leash/harness set which has drawn many bemused stares. She doesn’t have much formal training, but she will go out and walk a ways, stop and chew on some grass, try to capture a bug etc. It was unexpected to have her come back to us, but thanks to a loving and wonderful Good Samaritan she was able to come home to ALPRAS. She has always had a permanent place in our hearts & now she has one as well here, as a Resident Sanctuary Cat.
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Blizzard and SingletonSingleton was the first kitten Blizzard took care of.
Singleton was a very frail sick kitten and the only survivor of her litter. She owes her life more to Blizzard than any of the help we gave her. Blizzard kept her warm, clean, and.....fed. It was a huge surprise when we heard this little kitten suckling on a spayed female who had never had a litter or heat. At first we thought she was just allowing it as a comfort until we saw the milk. This wouldn't be the last time Blizzard stepped up to be the Momma Cat other kitten and cat fosters needed in their lives in one way or another. Blizzard didn't always have to do the work alone, sometimes 'Daddy Jack' stepped in too. |
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Blizzard and JackJack Sparrow came from the same shelter Blizzard did and just a couple weeks apart. Maybe they made the connection looking at each other through the bars. Whatever it was and is, it has stuck like glue. Despite their time apart, they are just as close today.
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Blizzard and EdgarEdgar was a cat who came into the rescue as an owner surrender. While they took amazing care of him despite his ailments for the first 8 months of his life, their older cat tormented him day in and out. Edger had things he couldn't do well. Eating, drinking, and even breathing was difficult. He had such a severe under bite that his lower fangs protruded and he didn't even know how to clean himself. Blizzard decided this needed to change. She helped support him and encourage him, groomed him and taught him how to groom himself. Blizzard would let him lay his head on her so he could breath easier to sleep and never let any cat be cruel to him. With her help he became a much more self sufficient and confident cat.
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Blizzard and CaramonCaramon was quite the angry cat. His owners dumped him after they got a shiny new kitten. He hadn't even turned 2. At the shelter he was overlooked. A huge Abyssinian cat growling with glowing green eyes in the back of a kennel. Though Blizzard came after Caramon arrived, she saw what he needed most. A Bath. Call it crazy, but she turned a generally rude, and sometimes nasty cat, into...well...a 'Gentlecat'. Whenever he got snarky she, half his size, would pin him down and give him a good long bath. Blizzard became a master at it and used this gift to help sooth, heal, and calm the angriest of cats (and dogs!) into more loving, forgiving, adoptable animals.
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A Person to Trust
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Blizzard got very lucky.
There is no telling how many weeks she spent outside or what possible other difficulties or horrors she may have faced. We believe she followed the healthy cat, who looked like one of the fosters she'd known since he was a baby, in hopes of finding help. This wonderful Good Samaritan, took her in, fed, and cared for her all while trying to find owners. Posing on lost/found sites and social media, she went all out. As soon as she was able she took the white cat to a vet to scan for a chip and Blizzard could finally be safe and with those who have known and loved her for so many years. These pictures are part of a short video taken when Blizzard first showed up. They help show on the surface the visible neglect she suffered, as you can imagine, fur hides a lot. |
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Home and Assessment
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On the long way home back across the state, Blizzard barely made much noise. Every so often she'd wake up and let out a meow just to see if someone was there. Once we answered, she'd fall back asleep. This would be most of her first week back, sleeping and calling out to see if someone was there.
The assessment was hard to swallow. Going on a 1 - 10 scale used by most veterinarians and shelters, Blizzard ranks as a 2. What this means is that her ribs, spine, pelvis, and many bony features are visibly seen with no fat deposits and minimal muscle mass. This was after a roughly a week of care and being fed by her finder, a testament to the terrible condition she must have been when she arrived. Blizzard's coat presented as very thin and patchy without normal oils present for a healthy coat. Underneath her fur the skin was pink and red with inflammation from parasites, sunburn, and abrasions. She was still somewhat dehydrated and presented as very anemic with pale membranes due to parasites both internal and external. Aside from some small bursts of energy dedicated to eating, drinking or using the litter box, Blizzard exhibits very low energy for her age and personality which runs consistent with her poor physical condition. As with all animals coming in from unknown conditions while outside and for her to safely recover, she will be in general quarantine for a minimum of 2 weeks, possibly more if she needs it prior to joining the rest of the animals in her Sanctuary residence. |
First Week: 3-27 to 4-03
Blizzard is slowly making progress and getting stronger. She is handling quarantine well. Blizzard is in the large crate usually used for Mastiffs and Great Danes, so she has a lot of room to move around as she gains some strength. There is a comfortable bed and she's been making full use of it resting and healing. She's eating well, two cans of food a day and tomorrow we will adding a little dry food as well. Blizzard is getting some high calorie supplements to help her get a boost and have her health improve. It is always hard to take it slow when you know food is love! She's completely flea free and will be wormed tomorrow. We are going to hold off on giving her vaccines until she gets a little stronger. Her personality is starting to come back a little more, although she may need some minor behavioral rehabilitation. Blizzard's skin is also improving dramatically. There are still some dark pink and raw spots, but overall it is getting better. We are keeping things as stress free as possible for her and will give another update on 4/10/19.
***NOTE*** Many people are curious as to why Blizzard would be crated during her quarantine period. This is for the safety of other animals who may be immune compromised, to help keep her less stressed by providing a safe and secure environment where she doesn't have to work on being alert, and also to make sure she doesn't go hide where she is difficult to reach. When cats are very ill or weak, they often hide and/or shut down. We want to ensure that she gets all the care she needs and has the opportunity to get strong enough to stand on her own four paws and create her natural space bubble when dealing with other people or animals.
She absolutely gets held and pet during the day but she is still very tired and spends most of the day resting when she is not eating or using the litter box. Hopefully she will be strong enough after the 14 day quarantine period to come out, but we are on her schedule and won't push her until she is ready.
***NOTE*** Many people are curious as to why Blizzard would be crated during her quarantine period. This is for the safety of other animals who may be immune compromised, to help keep her less stressed by providing a safe and secure environment where she doesn't have to work on being alert, and also to make sure she doesn't go hide where she is difficult to reach. When cats are very ill or weak, they often hide and/or shut down. We want to ensure that she gets all the care she needs and has the opportunity to get strong enough to stand on her own four paws and create her natural space bubble when dealing with other people or animals.
She absolutely gets held and pet during the day but she is still very tired and spends most of the day resting when she is not eating or using the litter box. Hopefully she will be strong enough after the 14 day quarantine period to come out, but we are on her schedule and won't push her until she is ready.
Second Week: 4-03 to 4-10
Its week two of Blizzard's homecoming and she is steadily improving. Her spine is not as obviously visible and is not highly prominent when touching her back. Hip bones are not protruding as heavily, however the rib cage is still easily felt with minimal pressure and the waist still very slim with no fat. At this time comfortable with giving her a body scale of 3. She has been able to gain more weight after the worming and will have a follow up worming next week. Color is starting to return to her gums and she is also no longer dehydrated. She is eating and drinking well and the high calorie booster is helping her perk up. Blizzard still spends a lot of time sleeping which is very good for regaining her strength. At this time it has been decided that she needs more time before being able to integrate with other animals and move freely.
Blizzard is taken out and to be social with people and has had interactions with other animals she knows well, Her drive as a caregiver is still strong. Jack Sparrow has been able to visit with her and cleaned her and she reciprocated for a short while before getting tired. This evening (4/9) Asuma, a 10 year old Mobility Service Dog, came to visit her finally while she was being held. He gently licked her and she responded by grooming his muzzle for a short while. It was good to see them make a caring connection as long time friends.
We are hopeful that she may be strong enough next week to be able to come out and integrate with the rest of the house or at least have some outings from the big crate where she can be more social off and on during the day or as much as she can safely handle. Overall we are pleased with the progress she has made so far and are excited to see future improvements.
Blizzard is taken out and to be social with people and has had interactions with other animals she knows well, Her drive as a caregiver is still strong. Jack Sparrow has been able to visit with her and cleaned her and she reciprocated for a short while before getting tired. This evening (4/9) Asuma, a 10 year old Mobility Service Dog, came to visit her finally while she was being held. He gently licked her and she responded by grooming his muzzle for a short while. It was good to see them make a caring connection as long time friends.
We are hopeful that she may be strong enough next week to be able to come out and integrate with the rest of the house or at least have some outings from the big crate where she can be more social off and on during the day or as much as she can safely handle. Overall we are pleased with the progress she has made so far and are excited to see future improvements.
Third Week: 4-10 to 4-17
Blizzard continues to improve slowly. She is still not strong enough to stay out for long periods of time yet, but enjoys the time she spends on laps while she is out. She still sleeps through most of the day which is expected as her body heals and she gains weight. Though her body scale is still at a 3, she is gaining in many areas overall such as in her face and spine. She eats and drinks well while also enjoying her doses of the high calorie booster. We are also working with her to lower her panic attacks over getting her food. Blizzard is relearning general good behavior protocol for feeding times. She meows loudly and paws to try and get it faster. Cats do not meow for their sake, they do it for humans. Meowing is their best defense/tool in getting what they want. They 'train' humans to respond to this noise. It also is their way of communicating pain, stress, or fear. Training her to not panic by using scheduled feeding times and waiting until she stops the behavior (with food being this motivation) is part of her rehabilitation. She is taking to it again bit by bit. Its hard sometimes to not rush things because we want her to get back to normal fast! Despite those feelings, we know we have to do things slowly and what is right for her in both the long and short run.
Fourth Week: 4-17 to 04-24
Blizzard has had a good jump forward this past week, literally! She's had more energy this week spending time moving around in the big crate. Going to the litter box doesn't take most of her energy anymore. When she is out she actually wants to move around a little rather than just only wanting to be on a lap. At one point, though it completely wore her out afterwards, she jumped from the bathroom counter to the top of the door! As far as her body score, she's almost at a 4. She's improved more with the panicked meowing at dinner times and is getting less pushy. Sometimes while she eats she still gulps it down as if it would disappear if she doesn't shovel it in fast enough. More of her personality is emerging and she is more interactive. It is nice to see this bounce forward. If things continue on this route she may be able to come out most of the day next week and rest in the crate when she wants/needs to and at night. We'll keep our paws crossed!
Fifth Week: 4-24 to 05-01
Blizzard is making a fantastic turnaround. She's been more awake than asleep, interactive, and as the week progressed gaining obvious energy. She's more responsive and really enjoys her 'mouse house' when she does sleep. When she's out she exhibits more strength and has the capability to create a 'space bubble', which is very important for cats, especially in a place with other animals. her body score we can confidently say is now at a 4. Its expected her obvious weight will slow a little as she starts growing muscle while being more active. Her skin has healed, she is no longer anemic, and is growing her fur back in. Her spine and ribs are no longer visible. Though there is minimal padding between her skin and bones and she still has a very noticeable waistline, she is doing so much better overall. Her personality is coming in more and more and we expect her to be very exploitative, which is great because we will be letting her out for much longer periods of time while leaving the crate open so she has a place to go and rest. Her crate will be closed at night and while no one is home. Overall we are happy with her progress and looking forward to seeing her grow even closer to the Blizzard we all know and love!
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May Update
Blizzard has done such a good job healing and improving that she is out of the crate more than in. Her body scale is maintaining a 4 and slowly improving. She had a bit of a set back that took the better of the last two weeks of May to recover from. Her teeth were so bad when she came back and she is probably going to face some dental work once she's healthy enough. One of these teeth came out on its own. We are unsure if she swallowed it but she did have irregular vomiting for a few days and she wasn't able to hold anything down. We finally had to suspend feeding for 48 hours with just giving her fluids for the first 24 and the high calorie booster for the second. It worked and we were able to reintroduce food and a digestive assistant.
Blizzard is now back up to speed and despite this hiccup, she is really been coming around. Very much the curious explorer once again! We know she's still got a climb to go yet but Its so good to see her personality returning and her reconnecting with her old friends while making some new ones. The pictures below help show how her face is starting to fill out some and how well her fur is growing back in and getting in much healthier condition. We keep hoping those little crescent moons that we know so well will come back on top of her head but they haven't yet. It might just be that a Blizzard could be just a bit more snowy white forever!
Blizzard is now back up to speed and despite this hiccup, she is really been coming around. Very much the curious explorer once again! We know she's still got a climb to go yet but Its so good to see her personality returning and her reconnecting with her old friends while making some new ones. The pictures below help show how her face is starting to fill out some and how well her fur is growing back in and getting in much healthier condition. We keep hoping those little crescent moons that we know so well will come back on top of her head but they haven't yet. It might just be that a Blizzard could be just a bit more snowy white forever!
June Update
Blizzard came around well during the month of June. Still just below a 5, she regained a little lost muscle and more of the much needed natural fat layer to cover her ribs and spine better. Her face is still trying to fill out. Though she still tired easily, she has been able to come out of the crate completely. We left it up just in case she needed a place to 'get away' from everything but has been able to make her 'space bubble' fairly effectively. She did go through another tooth loss during this month but handled it much better than the last one.
July Update
Blizzard has finally settled into a 5 body scale! While she still has muscle to build, she is moving around easily and pretty active. Her personality has come out so much and while she will probably never be completely as she used to be, she is much more the Blizzard we know and love. In fact, that picture below where she is looking at trees on the TV was actually her hunting the birds on National Geographic! She woke me up out of a dead sleep thudding against the TV stand and started churring and chirping at the birds on the screen...even batting at them. It was silly and I wish I had been more awake to catch her active but I at least got this picture with a tiny tongue blep to boot!
August Update
Blizzard has come so far. She's so much more confident and has filled out really well. She's almost a normal cat and certainly has regained some of her snark to boot! Caught her at a good yawn stretch to show you she still has top fangs....but we're not talking about the bottom...
Fun fact, the kitty behind Blizzard is Jenny Any Dots who's adoptive Mom is ALPRAS' Nana!
ALPRAS' main house is Nana's big house since we moved across the state this past year to help her out from now on <3
Fun fact, the kitty behind Blizzard is Jenny Any Dots who's adoptive Mom is ALPRAS' Nana!
ALPRAS' main house is Nana's big house since we moved across the state this past year to help her out from now on <3
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September Update
Blizzard may not want to discuss her many Bleps, but having lost those teeth they happen a lot!
Just makes her all that much cuter in our opinion. As you can see shes filled out and looking good. She doesn't need her high calorie supplement anymore, just wet food in the morning and dry food at night. She's maintaining a nice weight and though I don't think she will ever get her grey forehead moons back, we've gained a treasure trove of bleps! XD
PS: If you didn't know, Blep is when a critter has a little bit of tongue sticking out :D
Just makes her all that much cuter in our opinion. As you can see shes filled out and looking good. She doesn't need her high calorie supplement anymore, just wet food in the morning and dry food at night. She's maintaining a nice weight and though I don't think she will ever get her grey forehead moons back, we've gained a treasure trove of bleps! XD
PS: If you didn't know, Blep is when a critter has a little bit of tongue sticking out :D
October Update
Blizzard was kind enough to pose in the middle of a project scattered on the counter, but we're happy she did because she was able to give us this pretty pose and show off her collar and tag. As you can see she's looking fabulous. We're so pleased with all the progress she's made. Our gorgeous, sweet girl has made a huge comeback and we couldn't be happier. She does many of the things she used to and is even more of a cuddle bug whenever you want. She's happy to interact with the dogs and spends a good amount of time with Jack Sparrow (they've always been close). He's been going through a tough time of his own and she's been there for him. Blizzard has also reminded Jenny Any Dots that she remembers when Jenny was a tiny, tiny kitten and that if she's acting like she's having a bad hair day....Momma Blizzard is more than happy to fix it...whether she likes it or not!
Fun Fact:
Blizzard has often been called Momma Blizzard because of taking care of many many kittens (sick and healthy) and helping older cats get over their issues from health or difficult backgrounds.
Jack Sparrow is the equivalent of a husband in many ways. They love each other very much and came into the rescue at the same time. Jack is often called Daddy Jack as he has been a leader, companion, and an example for all ALPRAS animals over the last 12 years.
Fun Fact:
Blizzard has often been called Momma Blizzard because of taking care of many many kittens (sick and healthy) and helping older cats get over their issues from health or difficult backgrounds.
Jack Sparrow is the equivalent of a husband in many ways. They love each other very much and came into the rescue at the same time. Jack is often called Daddy Jack as he has been a leader, companion, and an example for all ALPRAS animals over the last 12 years.
December Update
Don't let this picture fool you!
Blizzard has made it hard to photograph her because she's always running around like a nut ball these days. With it being the holidays she's been very involved in everyone's business. She was kind enough to not climb the Christmas Tree (we were a little worried lol). Everyone is amazed at how well she's doing, how good she looks, and her recovery from the shell she was. She's happy to play around, chase and be chased by the dogs and cats, and generally get into silly trouble that cats often do.
She has regained one of her nicknames in full force!
All Hail the Return of Bizzy Bizzard!!!
Blizzard has made it hard to photograph her because she's always running around like a nut ball these days. With it being the holidays she's been very involved in everyone's business. She was kind enough to not climb the Christmas Tree (we were a little worried lol). Everyone is amazed at how well she's doing, how good she looks, and her recovery from the shell she was. She's happy to play around, chase and be chased by the dogs and cats, and generally get into silly trouble that cats often do.
She has regained one of her nicknames in full force!
All Hail the Return of Bizzy Bizzard!!!
January Update 2020
It was a busy holiday season and a joyous one, especially having her back to make us laugh and cause mischief.
We were very glad to have such a nice time as we lost a beloved ALPRAS Sanctuary dog Wicket Wisteri Warrick just before Thanksgiving (which is why there was no November Update) and this month Fafa (Nana's husband). So January has also been a busy month with many visitors and things to do. The loss of Fafa has been a little hard for the cats as they stayed with him more and more as his health failed rapidly. Due to this we only have a couple of pictures with Blizzard enjoying some snoozles. Even though she and the other animals have been a little down we know they will get back to a new normal soon.
We were very glad to have such a nice time as we lost a beloved ALPRAS Sanctuary dog Wicket Wisteri Warrick just before Thanksgiving (which is why there was no November Update) and this month Fafa (Nana's husband). So January has also been a busy month with many visitors and things to do. The loss of Fafa has been a little hard for the cats as they stayed with him more and more as his health failed rapidly. Due to this we only have a couple of pictures with Blizzard enjoying some snoozles. Even though she and the other animals have been a little down we know they will get back to a new normal soon.
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We will post new Updates when we can. We hope everyone is doing well during this trying time of battling COVID-19.
Please remember, if you are sick,
to practice social distancing from your pets as much as possible.
While they cannot give it to you, you can give it to them.
Stay Safe, Stay Home, and Stay Strong!
Past Pictures
