Happy Birthday Caden!

As you all know, each and every one of our rescues is precious to us. But every once in a while a rescue touches our heart in a very special way. Caden is one such rescue. Baby Caden was dropped off at a Humane Society in Eastern Oregon. We got the call that a captive born cougar needed a home. We had no idea what to expect. What we found was a 12 week old cub who was emaciated and could hardly lift his head. When we saw him we were shocked at his condition and immediately took him in for an exam.

His blood work came back positive for Panleukopenia. We were stunned and frantic. The next two weeks were a blur of IV fluids, special diets, vet visits and 'round the clock care between three of us. We all worked at regular jobs so we took shifts watching over this fragile baby. I don't know that any of us got much sleep, but we couldn't imagine the thought of losing him. And somehow against all odds, Caden pulled through.  But his trials weren't over yet. A week after he chewed off his IV catheter, I noticed when he walked, his back end would slip and he'd fall. At first I blamed it on him being weak, but after a few days, I knew something was wrong. We scheduled a visit to a Neurologist and took him in for a CAT Scan and MRI. The conclusion came back, neurological damage due to Panleuk.

There was nothing we could do. We were devastated, but through it all, little Caden continued to play and eat and thrive. Surprisingly, this tenacious cub didn't seem to be bothered by being wobbly or falling, he just got back up and kept going! It was then that we realized that even though he would always be a 'special needs' cougar, we could give him the quality of life he deserved and had worked so hard to survive!  Today Caden is one of our biggest cougars, and while he is unsteady on his feet when he walks, he can run like the wind and loves his two cougar buddies, Leo and Cody!  Every day is a good day for Caden and he's taught us a very important lesson in never giving up!  There are always challenges in rescue work, but because of Caden, we've learned we are making a difference each and every day :)   Happy Birthday Caden, we love you!
 

Read Caden's Birthday Wish :)