There always those rescues that tug at your heartstrings, the ones that keep you up all night worrying, the ones that make you laugh and make you cry. They are emotionally draining, and at times you think you just can’t make a difference in that tiny little life in your care.
The story of Maddox is one of those rescues. He came in with his three siblings at about 3 weeks old with no mom. Remarkably, they all did well with the exception of Maddox.
The beginning of his life was a struggle. He needed a mom and we had to become that for him. He struggled with constipation consistently to the point he became very painful. He ended up at two different emergency vet clinics. He would hide all the time and he had no energy to play like a typical kitten.
Maddox wasn’t growing, and at 9 weeks old he still looked like a 5 week old kitten.
(Courtesy of Lorraine Monfils)
We did everything we could think of — Miralax, lactulose, pumpkin in his food, and we even gave him warm baths and massaged his belly to help stimulate him. After more than a month we have made progress.
He still has issues, but he is now playing like a normal kitten, he has started growing and his appetite is good. While we know we are not out of the woods just yet, we are committed to helping Maddox live a happy, normal life.
Rescue is not easy. It is sleepless nights, worrying because you just want them to live happy, healthy lives. You hope you make the right decisions and you are devasted when the endings are not happy.
Maddox has been a challenge, but it has been worth all of the ups and downs. In his short little life he has been an inspiration to watch. Even with all the bad days and the pain, he fought like a little trooper to survive. He never gave up, and to watch him run and play and do normal kitten things is amazing.
Maddox will stay at the Ark for the time being until we are sure he is healthy. We will be very selective about his family and we will take every precaution to make sure he gets what he needs.
Thank you for your continued support and, as always, thank you for reading our column.
The Ark Animal Sanctuary is located at 102 Old Woodstock Rd., Houlton. Visit them online at arkanimalsanctuary.org/home, call 532-7387 or check out their Facebook page.
