June 13th, 2005
Note, there have been some great developments to Harry's story that have beed added to the bottom of the page.
June 8, 2005
On Tuesday June 7th, my wife and I found this beautiful black cat in the garden at our building here in Manhattan. When we found him, it was obvious that he was both starving as well as dehydrated. The cat also had old cuts around his head that indicated that he had been fighting.
While there are strays and ferrals all over the City, it seemed apparent to Chanthee and I that this adolescent male was owned by someone. First, the young cat, whom we have named Harry, is incredibly friendly. He walked right up to my wife, after she sat close to him, and gave her a gentle head butt. He was absolutely desparate for attention. Second, while it is apparent that he has been on his own for quite some time, he is very gentle. We were able to scoop him up and bring him to our friends at the Westside Veterinary Center. He underwent a full physical evaluation with patience and did not complain once during the exam. After the exam was over, Harry ate a whole can of cat food in less than 5 minutes. It was a sight to see.
We left him at the veterinary center overnight because we already have four cats in our home. We wanted to make sure that he was 'safe' to bring into our home until we could find him a permanent family. Specifically, we wanted to insure that he had no viruses that could be transmitted to our other cats.
Unfortunately, we received bad news today. Harry has Feline Leukemia. According to PetPlace.com, Feline Leukemia is defined as a "retrovirus that causes suppression of the immune system, impairing a cat’s ability to fight infections.” According to our doctor, it is highly contagious to other felines - being spread through saliva and urine.
The good news is that Harry is otherwise healthy - just tired and hungry and in need of a loving home. According to the doctor, Harry can still live a normal life with a lifespan of at least 5 or 6 years. It will need to be a home where he is an 'only cat' or with other Feline Leukemia Positive cats. The doctor reported that it is not contagious to humans. We will also gladly have him neutered.
Currently, Harry's medical bills have run my wife and I about $372.00. The boarding rate per night is $52.00. While we are more than glad to help Harry, there is urgency to find him a home ASAP as we cannot afford to keep him there indefinitely and the alternatves are grim. Several different shelters have been contacted, but we have been told that they are 'full to the brim.'
Harry (c) 2005 James Morrissey
If someone lives in the NY TriState area, we will gladly bring Harry to you. We just want to find Harry a home immediately. There will be no fees or charges to cover the costs that we have accumulated. If anyone would like to donate to the “Help Harry Fund,” you can send a small donation via paypal to: james_mor@hotmail.com. We expect that the veterinary bills will probably top $500.00-$600.00. Any leftover funds, if any, will be donated to Harry's new owner so that his future medical bills can be subsidized.
Thank you for your support and interest. Harry is a beautiful cat and deserves a chance to live out the rest of his life. I will be greatful if people forward this link to others so that we can help find him a loving home. I apologize that the photographs on this page are NOT very good. Harry is so desparate for attention that he does not sit still and is always looking to be pet or touched. We will try to get more in the near future as well as to provide updates to any who are interested.
Harry (c) 2005 James Morrissey
June 13th, 2005: Please note that Harry was adopted by a gentleman on June 12th. He no longer needs a home. I want to thank all of the e-mails from people who sent various alternatives for shelters for cats with Feline Leukemia. I was amazed at the number of e-mails. Another wonderful thing that was done was by the Westside Veterinary Center. They reduced Harry's boarding bill significantly. It is greatly appreciated.
Please contact us at james@nwpphotoforum.com or james_mor@hotmail.com if you have questions or if you want to help.