Raisin Rallies
Raisin really embodies his name… and we’re trying to change that!
When Raisin first came to the RAPS Animal Hospital, he was only two months old. Born in RAPS’ foster care in June 2024 to mother, Ebony, Raisin was the runt of his litter and immediately started showing signs of health issues. He was taken to the RAPS Animal Hospital because he was having difficulty breathing when eating. In the following two months, he began vomiting up that food – and, unlike his siblings, he wasn’t growing.
At that point, it was pretty clear that RAPS had a problem kitty on our hands. While gastrointestinal issues are quite common in cats, the exact cause of Raisin’s food issues were unclear, so the vet staff undertook a series of medical tests to try to diagnose and treat Raisin’s issues. He had a cocktail of various pills to keep his symptoms at bay. At his worst point, the little guy was taking medication every two-to-three hours, including in the dead of night. When Raisin was just a little over a year old and barely one-and-a-half kilograms, the RAPS staff had to start looking at palliative treatment.
But no one was really ready to give up hope on the little kitty who could. Least of all Raisin himself, who showed both resilience and a will to keep going despite his circumstances. It’s hard not to fall in love with him. First, the vet team decided to try him on steroids, which stabilized his weight and condition. But the real breakthrough was a change in his diet.
Raisin had been showing an intolerance to kibble since the start of his issues–it was hard enough for him to get wet food down–so when they decided to try him on hydrolized protein kibble it seemed like another last-ditch effort. To everyone’s surprise, though, Raisin started to improve immediately.
Because he needed round-the-clock care, Raisin goes home with a staff member of the RAPS Animal Hospital and spends his days with the administrative staff adjacent to the hospital, giving him not only the medical care he requires but an enveloping community of care that has socialized him and made him comfortable in diverse settings. He has become the office mascot and a cherished member of the team. Prior to his change in diet, the RAPS office staff had described Raisin as an old soul—he slept most of the day, loved warm places, and wasn’t all that active. Overnight, Raisin went from acting like a senior to behaving like a kitten: running, playing, and loving life. His most recent blood test corroborated this positive trend: his protein levels have started to go up, and he’s even gained a whole half-kilo! Visitors to the office wouldn’t know he had health issues. He’s just a small version of a cat with every ounce of friskiness a young feline is famous for.
Though his prognosis is looking up, it’s still too early to say what the future has in store for Raisin. So long as he keeps on the hydrolyzed diet, he seems to be improving, but all it takes is for him to get a single bite of another cat’s food for the coughing and vomiting to come back. But what we can say is that RAPS hasn’t given up on him for a single minute.
In many other places, Raisin might have been euthanized, deemed too hard to care for––but at RAPS, our vet staff and the whole RAPS family have spared no time or resources to do everything we can for Raisin, and their focus has been, first and foremost, on the cat and his needs rather than the cost and convenience of his care.
Raisin now spends his days lounging and playing at the RAPS admin office, and at night he goes home with hospital staff who love and care for him. He likes other cats, tolerates dogs, (but weirdly can’t stand kittens!) and loves nothing more than a warm lap.
RAPS doesn’t give up on an animal, regardless of the challenges they face. Thanks to your support, Raisin is able to live the best possible life he can, surrounded by his people, all the care he requires, and all the love he can soak up.
