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One cool September evening, a group of boys were walking through Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park on their way to their friend’s house. With approximately a little more than half a mile to go, they noticed a kitten had picked up on their trail and was slowly lagging behind, but they didn’t think much about it. Later that evening when the boys exited their friend’s home they saw a kitten lying on the ground and walked over to inspect it. The One boy’s Mother came to the scene and provided some food and water after noting the kitten’s very depleted condition. It was quite late and she didn’t know what to do. She had an older cat and would not bring this sick kitten into their home so it was left outside. The next morning the kitten still lay where it had been left. More food with a little antibiotic meant for humans was offered.
Note: administering prescribed antibiotics meant for humans can kill an animal and should not be done.
Upon my arrival to visit with my friend the following afternoon, I was told about this kitten that could not walk that lay dying in the grass. We walked over to where it was and my eyes saw some breathing bones covered with fur. It was a very sad sight - I stooped down to greet the little one and stroked the top of its head with my fingertips while mentally sending a prayer up there for him/her. It was quite clear this kitten was extremely ill. In addition to being starved, it also had a very bad cold and was wheezing, sneezing and coughing. Its eyes and nose were caked with dried mucous - one eye was completely closed shut with the other barely open.
While walking back to my friend’s house, we were discussing what should or could be done. I quickly caught my friend’s drift but in my mind there was absolutely no way I would even consider bringing this critter home with me, and was rapidly talking myself out of even entertaining this possibility. My friend was not the only one with an older cat; I also had a 16+ year old that had beaten the early death sentence issued by his vet when he was 5 years old. As I was relaying this fact, I heard: “Oh my God Karen, it’s walking.†I turned my head to see this little tiny thing coming towards us and remember thinking “uh-oh.†My friend slowed her pace but I did not, and actually think mine quickened. This kitten seemed to be on a mission! My friend had stooped down to speak to him/her but the kitten trotted right on by and seemed to be coming for my heels. My friend commented that she could not believe how this kitten was latching on to me when she had been the one that had fed and given it water. I laughed and said, “Nice try but that ploy won’t work.†Even though I sensed what was going on in the kitten's mind, I was hoping I was wrong and opted to try a little test, I went out of my way to walk around my vehicle. Sure enough, this crying little thing followed me. It was a very determined creature and even tried to follow me right into my friend's house.
I had not seen my friend in quite some time and we had some catching up to do but this kitten was becoming the major topic. My friend is an intelligent woman but tried to claim that she did not know what she should or could do. In my mind, this was not rocket science and one thing was certain - the kitten clearly needed shelter. There were several options and none of them had to include me. Her mansion was much larger than my small spring house and every room had a door. Therefore, my first suggestion was to bring the kitten inside and isolate it in one of the many unused rooms. When this failed, I recommended calling a vet or an animal rescue service, which finally ended this discussion.
As fate would have it, this kitten had its own plan that came as no surprise to me and is exactly what the walk around my car had reflected. I was ready to head home shortly after dusk and discovered the kitten waiting under my vehicle. As soon as it heard my voice it sprung into action. I stood looking down at this little crying baby who stood looking up at me. I could almost hear it begging, “please take me with you!†Needless to say, the kitten left with me, and it was a good thing too because some very strong weather with flooding moved in later that evening, and this little one would not have survived the night.
The drive home with the kitten had me weighing the options. Due to the late hour, it was a given it would be spending at least one night with me, but not in my small house, which left the studio as the only other option. I made a soft bed with towels and a blanket, turned the heat up, provided water, some food with a dose of Sovereign Silver (natural antibiotic) added and tucked the kitten in for the night.
The next morning I walked over to the studio and was not sure what I would find. As it turned out, this little one was still very much alive. “She†was very weak but i also sensed an underlying strength to her energy as well. I sat with her and began to talk to her about her condition. I told her that I would do what I could to help her. I came back to my house and prepared her breakfast with another dose of Sovereign Silver. As she was eating, I heard coughing and then saw mucous begin to pour from her eyes and nose. She was in trouble, and I was in over my head, and immediately rushed her to a local animal hospital.
Fluids for dehydration were administered right away and then various tests were performed. About 3 ½ hours and $350.00 later the results were in. The kitten was between 3-4 months old, weighed right around 3 pounds, had mange, worms, walking pneumonia, herpes, an eye infection, and feline leukemia (FeLV) on top of it all. Bottom line - she was given a few days at most to live and ending her life was suggested. My heart sunk on hearing this news. I stood looking down at this little one who was staring off into space. I began to think about the amount of energy she had expended. She was starved and could barely see but willed herself to walk a little more than half a mile and then collapsed on the ground and did not move again until our paths crossed the next afternoon. It almost seemed like she was conserving what little strength she had while waiting for me and then she seemed to beg me to take her with me. I honestly did not get that an animal would fight that hard if s/he was not going to live. I decided to give her a chance, and would do everything I could to help her regain her health. The vet gave me the bill with a few bottles of medication and wished me luck.
On the way home, I spoke with the kitten about her condition and told her that I would do my very best but ultimately it was all up to her. Aside from the leukemia, the other conditions would be fairly easy to treat but this little one was already extremely depleted and the vet’s assessment had not offered much hope. The first thing that came through my thoughts was to give her a strong name that would serve to help her. Fairmount is the abbreviation for Fair Mountain. Mountains are strong and rugged and this little one definitely needed strength along with some fairness. Additionally, Fairmount Park is where she had lived, and it seemed like this Fair Mountain had given her the strength to make one final walk so our paths would cross. The name fit and was appropriate for her to carry.
Once we were home, Fairmount was taken to her room and I hit the computer to begin researching. I didn’t know much about FeLV but learned the big factor with the virus is that it causes severe “immunosuppression†- a weakened immune system. This information clearly indicated supporting and strengthening her immune system was crucial. This also meant that all conventional drugs including vaccines should be avoided, as they would only serve to weaken the immune system. There were many articles relating to more traditional pet care therapies but not much in the way of natural treatments. However, I did find one article concerning the benefits of pureed liver and how cats with the FeLV virus craved the enzymes. This article was a light bulb moment for me. Several years earlier, I had maintained a small practice as a medicinal cook for a few with various health conditions and well knew the medicinal value of food. Additionally, I also knew of a woman that once had leukemia who was given approximately 6 months to live 25 plus years ago. Therefore, I decided to attack Fairmount’s symptoms aggressively with medicinal foods/herbs that would be scaled down proportionate to her size/weight along with providing as much energy healing as she needed.
The following is the first phase of care employed. In addition to constantly asking the spiritual realms and Fairmount for help, I relied heavily on trusting my intuition (what came through me in the way of thought/feeling) when it came to how to proceed, what to feed and how much to administer on any given day. It is important to note that even though I believe organic whole foods are the best way to go and all my animals have been subjected to my beliefs, I have always used the highest quality commercial pet food I could locate as a base. Another factor for consideration is meat by-products of any kind along with added preservatives etc are not good for healthy animals and definitely should not be given to animals that are ill.
Foods added to ½ can of high quality pet food 2x per day.
Fresh Daikon Root - 1/8 teaspoon grated 1x per day to dispel excessive mucous.
Aduki Beans with juice - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of mashed beans with 1 tablespoon of juice 3-4x per week to support and strengthen the kidneys/bladder during toxin release.
Short Grain Brown Rice - 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons to stabilize system. Also treats constipation or diarrhea.
Fresh Kale - small amount slightly blanched and finely chopped. 1 serving per day.
Carrots - small amount either grated raw or cooked and then finely chopped. If juiced - 1/2 tablespoon with 1 teaspoon of pulp. 1 serving per day.
Pureed raw chicken or beef liver - 1-2 tablespoons mixed into food or a small bowl between meals with as much as she would eat. High source of protein and enzymes.
Raw egg yolk 2-3x per week. High source of protein.
Organic Whole Chicken Boiled - meat with marrow extracted from bones. 2-3x per week.
Vitamins - Herbs
Powdered Ascorbate Vitamin C - 250 mg. per day to start. Increase dosage until you reach bowel tolerance, which indicates all cells have been saturated. You do not want stools to become too soft so monitor and cut back dosage when bowl tolerance has been reached.
Flaxseeds - 1/8 teaspoon oil for Omega 3, skin and coat. 1x per day.
Fresh Ginger - 1 drop to rev up circulation. 1x per day for 4-7 days. (Use garlic press - store drops in refrig for 2-3 days.)
Fresh Garlic - 1/8 teaspoon finely minced for parasites. 1x per day for 7-10 days. (Note: much like conventional drugs, garlic is also a toxin for cats and should not be used long term.)
Burdock Root & Dandelion Root - alcohol free tincture 2 drops each or 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon each dried herb. Combination is a powerful blood purifier etc.
Echinacea & Golden Seal combination - alcohol free tincture 1 drop or 1/4 capsule powder to strengthen immune system. 2-3x per week
Fairmount was given a few days to rest before she was given her first bath with my own personal organic shampoo. Thereafter, she underwent 4 additional baths for 4 days in a row with one gallon of boiled lemon water added to treat the mange. The bathtub was filled with just enough water to cover her feet and no more than half her legs. After the initial 4 baths, she received daily lemon water sponge baths in my lap until the mange and itching was under control, which took approximately 10 days.
Homeopathic Remedy
Sulphur 30 C to treat mange, and herpes. 7-10 day treatment. First 3 doses every 12 hours - 1x per day thereafter. Administered at least 20 minutes before or after food feeding and 1 hour before lemon baths.
She received healing sessions 2x per day - first thing in the morning and last thing at night. The initial sessions lasted longer than human sessions, which is not the norm. Animals usually require much less healing energy than humans. However, Fairmount was at death’s door so I was willing to work for as long as she needed and or when I sensed she had enough. Approximately one week after our healing work began, her body began to shake uncontrollably under my hands. I thought for sure she was dying in my lap and began to pray. Within the next few minutes, she began a sneezing fit and I placed her on the floor to observe. After the sneezing passed, she stretched, walked over to her food and began to eat. I continued observing. Dying animals usually do not eat and she seemed to have an appetite, which was a good sign. After she finished eating I asked, “Are you OK?†She walked over to receive a few strokes and then went to curl up on her bed. I sat talking to her for a few minutes before leaving for the night.
I did not sleep well, as the healing session played out over and over in my mind. After tossing and turning for a few hours, I got out of my bed, bundled up and walked over to the studio to check on Fairmount - she was still alive. The next morning and much to my surprise, she was at the door waiting for me and seemed much stronger. During our healing session, I noticed her breathing was better and the wheezing was greatly reduced. I began to realize the trembling she had gone through the night before was very similar to what some of my human clients go through when we get into deep release work. “The healing shivers†must be what Fairmount went through. The session the night before had been our turning point and the walking pneumonia’s hold had been broken. This realization had me feeling fairly certain that she was on the road to recovery.
The photograph featured here is not a good one of my girl but reflects approximately one month of care. She was still quite thin and under weight but her energy level was much stronger. Her yellow tinged eyes later changed to green.
After about 6 weeks of treatment, my last animal companion (Asher) suddenly became ill. He had been diagnosed with a heart condition around age 5 and was not expected to live beyond age 6 or 7. However, he was the first to prove his vet wrong and outlived my other animal companions. He was an amazing little spirit that captured the hearts of everyone that ever met him. I absolutely adored him and was not ready to let him go. He demanded my undivided attention for four consecutive days - even monitored my phone time and would begin to scream like he was in pain. I was off the phone instantly the first time he did this and raced over to him only to find him quite comfortable, affectionate and purring. I quickly realized that he wanted me up close and personal with his dying process, which was not at all easy for me but there were some additional teachings that he wanted me to learn. My visits with Fairmount were cut very short - I pretty much delivered her food and left. After Asher’s death, I did not want to be around any animals but could not completely ignore Fairmount. While mourning my loss, it began to occur to me that Asher might have opted to depart so Fairmount could move into our home. It was cold outside and going back and forth to the studio was taking a toll. However, I had no plans of keeping this kitten. My only intention was to help her regain her health and then locate a good home for her - HA! The thought of one that I greatly loved possibly opting to leave early so this new cat could move into his home kind of pissed me off. I remember thinking, “No way in hell she is ever moving in here!†Another HA!
Three days later, Fairmount moved into our home. She definitely lifted my spirits with her great personality - it was like she had always been living here and knew the routine. She absolutely loved to give me baths with her sandpaper tongue that hurt after about the third pass. Even though I very much appreciated the highest form of affection she could give, i did my best to keep myself covered at night because if any limb popped out then it would be bathed if she was anywhere near it. However, my head was another story and I will never forget the first time she discovered my eyebrows. A painful scraping sensation on my eye lid awakened me one morning to see her face right there over mine, which made me jump big time!
As the weeks progressed, she became much stronger and I began to cut back on supplements and eliminated others when she stopped eating the pureed liver. Due to her depleted state, I had believed she probably would not come into season around the usual six months of age. Wrong! Her first season hit in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. I intially thought she was in pain as she screamed the house down. She clearly needed to be spayed but I wanted to give her a few extra months before putting her through an invasive medical procedure that included drugs. However, her second season in January convinced me that there was absolutely no way I would or could live with several days of monthly screaming sessions until the spring.
Our local vet was contacted first thing the following morning, but he would not spay her without giving her rabies and distemper shots. I tried to appeal to his better nature and explained the special needs of feline leukemia cats and how giving these shots could cause a set back or even kill them. He understood but we were locked in a stalemate and he would not bend the rules. Although, he did suggest that I contact the Animal hospital that had initially treated her because they had not required any shots. My next telephone call was to this very Animal hospital only to hear their concerns about the possibility of rabies, distemper, or some other infectious disease coming into their office - go figure! I quickly reminded this establishment that they did not seem to have any problems treating or charging a very significant amount of money when this “stray†was initially brought into their office. I also pointed out that contrary to their death sentence, the kitten was still very much alive, and had not set one foot on the ground outside, or come in contact with any other animals since her last visit to their office. My logic fell on deaf ears and they refused to spay her without shooting her up with drugs first. I could not locate anyone locally that would spay her without giving shots, which had me contacting a holistic vet located almost two hours away where Fairmount would receive the kind of care she required and for a very significant amount of money too. This little stray kitty was costing more in medical bills than all my animals and me combined in the last 25 years and I let her know that she better not have any plans to check out on that table!
Several days later, she was taken to the holistic vet where she would remain for 48 hours. Coming into season at her normal time was a good sign and reflected she was healthy but I was still a bit nervous about putting her through this medical procedure and spent some time mentally communicating with her. The vet seemed to sense my concern and assured me that her system would be supported from administering a mild does of anesthesia to receiving an acupuncture session directly after she regained consciousness. Leaving her there was hard and I found myself constantly communicating with her and telling her she had to stay strong. The vet provided constant updates before, during, and after the procedure. What was becoming clear with each new call was the vet was falling in love with this kitten, which had me feeling relieved and knowing she was in very good hands. Those 48 hours seemed like an eternity and Fairmount was as happy to see me as I was to see her. The vet relayed that all secondary conditions had cleared, and she was symptom free but still tested positive for feline leukemia. This was good news and tackling the leukemia would become my primary focus.
The second phase of Fairmount's treatment. In addition to maintaining the foods listed above, the following supplements were included. Her feeding was reduced to 1x per day with one day of fasting each week. Fasting gives the system a break and stimulates the immune system. Fairmount would also see her vet once every two weeks for a form of energy healing therapy, known as the “JMT Technique,†that she seemed to like very much. My plan was to have her retested for the leukemia every 3-4 months and compare her blood test results to better evaluate her nutritional needs.
Vitamin Supplements 1x per day
Liquid Vitamins with vitamin A and Iron.
CoQ10 - 1/3 of 30 mg. capsule.
Acetylator - 1/2 capsule
ProZyme Natural Enzyme -1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
Fairmount made it to her vet for three healing sessions before she changed the plan while we were in route for her fourth session. I normally allowed her to sleep on my body under my fastened coat or jacket on our previous car rides to the vet. But, she was much stronger now and needed to be crated.for safety reasons. We were half way there when she became extremely stressed and began to scream. I had initially thought she would mellow out as we drove but this was not happening. She had developed an aversion to car rides and letting her out of the crate did not stop her vocalization. I realized that nothing other than reducing her level of stress would be accomplished with this session, which would be canceled out on the drive home. Not to mention, stress is a major trigger for FeLV and I was not willing to take any chances. The car was turned around and we headed home, which i think she knew because she stopped screaming within minutes of the change in direction.
To this day, I have no clue what is going on with Fairmount's leukemia. What I do know from my research is that if a kitten with leukemia survives beyond two years then there is a very good chance they will go on to live a full and long life. There are no accidents in my little world and I know beyond any doubt that Fairmount came into my life to educate and teach me so that I could better serve others that have been issued death sentences by their vet. She has been with me for almost five years now and how long she lives or does not live is still entirely up to her.
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