Our Million Dollar Kitty

[Ed Vatza]

This is Carmella - one of our five cats. I always refer to her as our "Million Dollar Kitty" because it seems that is about what we have spent on her in vet bills alone over her now 12 years. Her adventures began when she was a kitten and when spayed, her vet could only find one ovary. We didn't think a whole lot about it but that turned out to just be the beginning. At age 5, she went into kidney failure. Mega vet bills later and she seemed better. Six months later, she had another bout of kidney failure and we thought we would lose her again. Again she recovered. But not before tests revealed she has only one kidney. Then when she was about 9 years old, she went into a funk. She lost her appetite and spent over a year (yes a year) spending 95% of her time laying on a mat atop a heating pad in a corner of the living room. We tried everything including Chinese herbal remedies that the vet prescribed. At times she seemed to have little strength at all. But she never lost the will to live. After about 15 months she decided she had enough and started eating, moving around, and acting normally. Well normally for Carmella. And now at the age of 12, she is doing all the "bad cat" things you'd expect of a kitten. She is running and jumping into windows, on desks, on kitchen counters and so on. She seems to be making up for lost time.

And in the meantime, if I had the money I have spent on her vet bills over the years, I'd easily be able to buy that 600mm lens.

And speaking of 600mm, don't ask why but, I made this image with my Canon 50D and 300mm f/2.8L IS lens with 2x TC (so I made it at 600mm); handheld.

1/250 sec @ f/5.6; ISO 2000; 0 EV; FL 600mm (effective focal length 960mm)

[Amy DeStefanis]

Hi Ed,

Looks like you're doing pretty well with the rig you have! The hairs on Carmella's nose and eyebrows are tack sharp! Sounds like she is a real survivor! ISO 2000? Wow. I don't see a lot of noise.....

Thanks for telling us Carmella's story! She's beautiful!

Amy D

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Hi Ed,
What a beautiful kitty! I understand something of what you have been through with Carmella. When we lived in the States my little cat Leo was sickened by the pet food poisonings (about 18 months ago) and suffered kidney failure. We learned to inject him with fluid and had to do this every night for three months in order to flush his kidneys out. Fortunately he has made a full recovery and I am so glad that Carmella has too. I know how precious they are...
Regards,
Nicki

[Alfred Forns]

Warming story Ed That is one lucky kitty ! I'm sure she will be around for many more !!! She is beautiful !!!

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Unbelievable story and what a great fighter she is as well as very beautiful. So glad she was in your home where she obviously had the best love and care. Beautiful image of a very beautiful cat. Thanks for sharing Ed,

[Gus Cobos]

A very pretty Lady...:cool:

[Julie Kenward]

Those darn animals...how can we not love on them when they look at us like this? She's so beautiful, Ed.

[Fabs Forns]

Bless her heart, and she's lucky to have you as parents :)

[Janet Leigh]

She is just beautiful..