Cecil the Great
Even now, It's hard to tell his story without tearing up...Cecil came to us when a caller found him blindly wandering about in a big, empty park. My trapper friend, bless her, stayed an hour looking, until she found him. He was near death. covered with scabies to the point that his eyes were swollen shut, rail thin, and at the very end of his endurance.
He was so weak that I was able to bathe him, and hold him on my lap for several hours combing the debris from his skin. The dead cells and waste from the scabies, who live under the skin, gets thick and gooey, and will not wash off. Then off to the vet. Ivermectin gets rid of scabies, so they died fast, but the general recovery was slow.
Cecil ate well, and started gaining weight. He arrived on Feb. 2, 2018. I had him in a big raised cage in a quiet room, where I could get my hands on him, and where he could get oriented to things here. When I thought he was ready, he moved into a raised cage in the living room.
For some reason, I posted his story on nextdoor.com. And was amazed at the wonderful outpouring of love and support for him! Kind and concerned neighbors called, emailed, sent money, and visited! There were so many fans of Cecil that I felt the need to have a party, so all could meet him. I met some incredible people!
Hes emotional recovery was also slow, but steady. I don't think he ever had loving care, may have been born to the streets, so as soon as his strength came back, he let us know not to touch him! that changed slowly over time. I don't remember when it was that I opened his cage door, but he gradually took his place among the others here. He became a calm, steady presence.
I kept the neighborhood apprised of his progress, and they were delighted.
Cecil continued to have what the doctors said was either asthma or bronchitis, and was treated for that. It improved, until it didn't. One morning he was breathing with difficulty. I rushed him to the hospital: Dr. Buttar in El Cerrito had the oxygen compression chamber (most don't) and I stayed with him there through the day. The doctor gave him two kinds of antibiotics, a steroid (always last resort, but this was last resort) and meds to take home. She stayed until 9:00 working with him. I took him home, and sat with him till 1:00. He did not improve. Got up and checked him at five, hoping the antibiotics would kick in. My husband got up at seven, and he had left us.
This is the short version. Cecil was like an angel. He opened our world, introduced us to people we had lived near for forty years but not known, and brought the neighborhood together in love and caring. LONG LIVE CECIL!
He was so weak that I was able to bathe him, and hold him on my lap for several hours combing the debris from his skin. The dead cells and waste from the scabies, who live under the skin, gets thick and gooey, and will not wash off. Then off to the vet. Ivermectin gets rid of scabies, so they died fast, but the general recovery was slow.
Cecil ate well, and started gaining weight. He arrived on Feb. 2, 2018. I had him in a big raised cage in a quiet room, where I could get my hands on him, and where he could get oriented to things here. When I thought he was ready, he moved into a raised cage in the living room.
For some reason, I posted his story on nextdoor.com. And was amazed at the wonderful outpouring of love and support for him! Kind and concerned neighbors called, emailed, sent money, and visited! There were so many fans of Cecil that I felt the need to have a party, so all could meet him. I met some incredible people!
Hes emotional recovery was also slow, but steady. I don't think he ever had loving care, may have been born to the streets, so as soon as his strength came back, he let us know not to touch him! that changed slowly over time. I don't remember when it was that I opened his cage door, but he gradually took his place among the others here. He became a calm, steady presence.
I kept the neighborhood apprised of his progress, and they were delighted.
Cecil continued to have what the doctors said was either asthma or bronchitis, and was treated for that. It improved, until it didn't. One morning he was breathing with difficulty. I rushed him to the hospital: Dr. Buttar in El Cerrito had the oxygen compression chamber (most don't) and I stayed with him there through the day. The doctor gave him two kinds of antibiotics, a steroid (always last resort, but this was last resort) and meds to take home. She stayed until 9:00 working with him. I took him home, and sat with him till 1:00. He did not improve. Got up and checked him at five, hoping the antibiotics would kick in. My husband got up at seven, and he had left us.
This is the short version. Cecil was like an angel. He opened our world, introduced us to people we had lived near for forty years but not known, and brought the neighborhood together in love and caring. LONG LIVE CECIL!