The Comeback Cat
by Amy Richards
One of the best things to come out of the previous years is the story of how #MargoTheComebackCat came to the Humane Society of Loudoun County and made all of our hearts grow. It all starts in May of 2019 when we were picking up a senior cat from a shelter in Maryland. While we were on our way, we received a plea asking if we could take another senior cat while we were there. Upon learning more about this sad, surrendered soul, there was no way we could turn our backs on her.
Margo was an owner-surrender due to allergies and was just one day from being euthanized when we rescued her from the overcrowded shelter. Stressed and nearly blind due to high blood pressure, Margo was shutting down in the shelter environment. She was in dire need of a second chance. After spending a few days between a foster and one of our trusted veterinarians, it was even more clear that she desperately needed a single, soft place to land and rediscover herself. Thankfully a former adopter offered up their extra bedroom to see what a little TLC could do for this old gal.
It was a slow and scary start. Margo was so severely depressed that she wouldn’t eat and had trouble walking from arthritis. Her blood pressure was so high that her vision was a serious issue. After days of force-feeding, Margo started to show some signs of life. A few weeks of gaining her trust by being present for her and providing more treats, she continued to open up. Soon, she was happy to receive affection. She enjoyed brushings. And she even started to take treats by hand. Margo then made fast friends with the furry foster family members and became eager to spend time with the entire family. She would meow as soon as she heard everyone up for the day and even learned to manage the stairs! The family created a game called “Margo Polo” to make sure she could follow their voices to find them wherever they were in the home.
Margo had regular vet appointments to monitor her blood pressure which got under control with medication and lower stress living. She also began laser therapy to help soothe her arthritic joints. She was eventually able to turn around without falling over! With the improved blood pressure, also came slightly improved vision. Our former lost soul truly blossomed into #MargoTheComebackCat.
There were still some bumps in the road and some potential homes that fell through, but no one gave up hope. Everyone knew that the purrfect home was out there somewhere, and Margo’s time would come. And sure enough, she was seen on a courtesy post through the Facebook page NoVa Cats. Her future momma was looking for a lounging lap cat, and Margo fit the bill to purrfection!
Welcomed into her furever home on March 01, 2020, Margo has been loved and pampered by her family.
Her mom Scarlett reports:
Margo is a cuddly bug. She just wants a nice place to lay even though she lays crazy. She is veryyyy stubborn and will let you know when she is done with your buffoonery. She is a little old lady making her laps in the mall everyday. She walks around the kitchen table and living room table maybe 5 or 6 times each and is very vocal when you are blocking her path. She likes to scratch the doorframe but [my husband] says it’s okay because she is funny. She eats with lots of head bobbing that’s hilarious to watch. She KNOWS when I’m up in the morning and she is awaiting her food, but she will stay knocked out when the dogs bark/vacuum/any loud noise. And even though [my husband] wasn’t sure about getting another animal when we did (with moving into a new house and all) I catch him cuddled up with her all the time. She LOVES laying on our bed. If she could easily get up and down, we would leave her up there all night. She gets around really well for her vision being what it is.
We couldn’t share success stories like Margo’s without the support of our amazing community and team of volunteers. Thank you for your contributions and continued support of the Humane Society of Loudoun County.
To learn more about Fostering and Adoption through the Humane Society of Loudoun County please follow this link: Humane Society of Loudoun County.
To learn more about the joys of adopting a senior pet please read the following: Why Adopt a Senior Pet.