Meet Lucky...

Our Story: Lucky's Story

The beginning...

In October of 2021, I saw Lucky for the first time. He was posted on FB by my good friend Ingrid, who runs a cat rescue here in Cancun. He had a nasty looking wound on his face, was very skinny and just looked so…tired. This is sadly not uncommon here in Mexico - there is a shocking amount of abuse, neglect and suffering. Something about him stuck with me. At the time, we had just unexpectedly taken in another kitten, so I kept scrolling. But I closely followed his updates and checked in on occasion. 

Fast forward a few weeks, I checked in and she sent a video of her holding “Scarface” (his name at the time of rescue). He was already starting to improve and she was looking for a special home for him. That video showcased what became one of my favorite things about this sweet boy - his incredibly loud, incredibly contented purr. Even though he was clearly in pain and even though he had been through so much at just 2 months old, he had such a beautiful heart. 

At that point, I knew I was going to try and do what I could to help him. I asked her to have him tested for Fel-V (feline leukemia), as this is a condition that is incredibly contagious to other cats. Unfortunately, he tested positive. This was really bad news. Not only could I not take him, but he was going to have to be separated from all cats, wherever he went, or be an only cat - which made his adoption possibilities incredibly low. The vet kept him at the clinic in a private space for a while so they could figure out options. During this time, he had no symptoms nor did he show any signs of being sick, so they decided to test him again (it’s not uncommon that young cats will fight off the infection) - and he was negative!! You can imagine the collective excitement. We waited another week and did one more test to be sure, and he was negative again. 

The vet was going to close for a few weeks and he had nowhere to go. I told Ingrid that I would be willing to foster him until after the holidays when we could start looking for an adopter. On November 17th, 2021 “Scarface” came home with us. 

A few days after he came to the house, he stopped eating and started showing some concerning symptoms. I took him to the vet and they said he had an infection. He came home with meds and seemed okay for a few days. But then he got sick again - lethargic, drooling, fever. We thought perhaps he had calicivirus, so they kept him overnight for observation and testing. The vet told me it’s also possible he did have leukemia, so we ran another test.

I distinctly remember the call when they told me he was confirmed to have leukemia. My heart just hurt so bad for him. The kid couldn’t catch a break. To top it off, he was quite sick and things weren’t looking great. They asked me if I would be willing to try an experimental treatment called interferon, which at that point was probably his only hope. So we did. One day we visited him and my son turned to me and said “We should name him Lucky, so he might be lucky and get better.” And so…Lucky he became.

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He ended up staying a week at the hospital. When I went to pick him up, the message from the vet was that it wasn’t a good prognosis. That he would probably not make it very long, but he had been fever free for 24 hours so we were able to at least take him home. We took him thinking we were taking him home to say goodbye. 

The first week he slept A LOT. He wasn’t very mobile but was eating and drinking at least a little each day. He wanted to be with me at all times so I camped out in his room to keep a close eye on him. About a week later, he suddenly started to be active - playing, jumping, running - a completely different kitten. Lucky had decided to fight. 

The following week, we took him in for a check up and additional treatment of interferon. Even the vet got choked up by how much he had improved. Half of the staff came out to see him and how well he had progressed. It was such a celebratory moment and one I will never forget. 

On December 9th, we told Ingrid we were going to officially adopt Lucky. There was no way I was ever going to part with this magical boy. On top of the intense attachment my entire family had formed with him, we also knew we were in a better place financially to give him the medical care his condition would require. And so began our adventure with Lucky Noodles. 

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The End...

Lucky graced us with a year and a half of love. In April of 2023, he began showing signs of difficulty breathing. I took him to the vet and we ran some tests and did x-rays. Then came the news - Lucky had a tumor. It was a large tumor located just between his heart and his lungs. The fluid surrounding it was making it extremely difficult for him to breathe, so the vets drained the fluid to alleviate the pressure. The next day, the doctor confirmed our worst fear - it was lymphoma.
 

The prognosis for a cat with lymphoma isn’t great, the prognosis for a cat with leukemia AND lymphoma was…well, a death sentence. We researched everything we could but we knew how it would end. In order to make him comfortable for the time he had left, we decided to do a procedure that would insert a catheter to allow for the fluid to be removed from his body and help him breathe as fully as possible. On the morning of April 21st, 2023 I brought him to the vet’s office, told him I loved him, gave him a kiss and went home to wait for the procedure to be completed. At 11:30am, I received a message that he had passed away.

I cannot explain the grief that followed, the grief that still remains. What I can say is that Lucky’s life was a blessing to us. And now to others as well. His passing and the grief that followed led me to follow my dream of starting an animal rescue and adoption program. I invite you now to find your own Lucky, to share the love of a street cat and the absolute joy of changing a life.