Splotchy
A donation was made in memory of Splotchy by the doctors and staff at North End Pet Hospital on Jul 22, 2026.
Splotchy had lived his entire life outdoors in one of our neighbor’s yard. He was given food and water, but he never received the medical care, companionship, or comforts that a pet should have.
Over time, we got to know him. We began leaving food for him nightly, and gradually he became comfortable with us. Eventually, he started letting us pet him. In mid-May, we noticed that he had lost a lot of weight and was covered in mats. He had clearly stopped grooming himself, and his breath was terrible; it was clear that he needed help.
We brought Splotchy into our care on May 27 and set him up in a spare room. We wanted him to have everything he had been missing: cozy hidey holes, a heating pad, a window to look out of, a cardboard scratcher, fresh catnip, toys, and unlimited food and water. Within 12 hours, he seemed completely at ease. He was purring, accepting pets, and settling into his new surroundings. Within 24 hours, he was allowing belly rubs and brushing.
Two days after bringing him inside, we took him to see Dr. Wright at North End Pet Hospital. Splotchy was such a brave boy at the visit. He patiently allowed the vet tech to shave off the enormous amount of mats covering his body and was even purring as they carefully brushed some out. Incredibly, he tested negative for FIV. The only concerns at that time were that he was severely underweight and had a parasite. We treated the parasite, and a follow-up test confirmed that the medication had cleared it. Two weeks later, we brought him back to the vet because he had begun drooling and his saliva had a bad smell. The vet was unable to get a good look inside his mouth but suspected an infection, so we treated him with a course of antibiotics. Thankfully, the antibiotics seemed to resolve the problem.
All the while, we were falling more and more in love with Splotchy. We spent hours with him every day, and he loved being snuggled and brushed. He loved his cardboard scratcher and seemed to delight in all the simple comforts of being inside. We fed him kitten food to help him put on weight, and he was beginning to fill out.
We would sometimes put our other cats away and open his door so that he could explore the rest of the house. But Splotchy never seemed interested in leaving his room. I think he was so content and secure that he didn't feel the need to explore. For the first time in his life, he had everything he needed.
Then, on July 22. Aaron heard a noise upstairs and found Splotchy collapsed. He was paralyzed in his hind legs and crying out. We rushed him to the emergency vet, but by the time we arrived, he no longer had a heartbeat.
We have been devastated by Splotchy’s loss. We had imagined having him with us for another five to seven years, so losing him so suddenly feels especially heartbreaking. After everything he had endured, we finally had the chance to give him the life he deserved—and we were given only a short time. We try to take comfort in knowing that those two months were the ones he had been waiting for his whole life. He knew what it felt like to be safe, cared for, and deeply loved. He knew what it was like to be someone’s beloved and special pet. We will always be grateful that, even if only for a little while, we were able to give Splotchy the home and love he deserved.
Over time, we got to know him. We began leaving food for him nightly, and gradually he became comfortable with us. Eventually, he started letting us pet him. In mid-May, we noticed that he had lost a lot of weight and was covered in mats. He had clearly stopped grooming himself, and his breath was terrible; it was clear that he needed help.
We brought Splotchy into our care on May 27 and set him up in a spare room. We wanted him to have everything he had been missing: cozy hidey holes, a heating pad, a window to look out of, a cardboard scratcher, fresh catnip, toys, and unlimited food and water. Within 12 hours, he seemed completely at ease. He was purring, accepting pets, and settling into his new surroundings. Within 24 hours, he was allowing belly rubs and brushing.
Two days after bringing him inside, we took him to see Dr. Wright at North End Pet Hospital. Splotchy was such a brave boy at the visit. He patiently allowed the vet tech to shave off the enormous amount of mats covering his body and was even purring as they carefully brushed some out. Incredibly, he tested negative for FIV. The only concerns at that time were that he was severely underweight and had a parasite. We treated the parasite, and a follow-up test confirmed that the medication had cleared it. Two weeks later, we brought him back to the vet because he had begun drooling and his saliva had a bad smell. The vet was unable to get a good look inside his mouth but suspected an infection, so we treated him with a course of antibiotics. Thankfully, the antibiotics seemed to resolve the problem.
All the while, we were falling more and more in love with Splotchy. We spent hours with him every day, and he loved being snuggled and brushed. He loved his cardboard scratcher and seemed to delight in all the simple comforts of being inside. We fed him kitten food to help him put on weight, and he was beginning to fill out.
We would sometimes put our other cats away and open his door so that he could explore the rest of the house. But Splotchy never seemed interested in leaving his room. I think he was so content and secure that he didn't feel the need to explore. For the first time in his life, he had everything he needed.
Then, on July 22. Aaron heard a noise upstairs and found Splotchy collapsed. He was paralyzed in his hind legs and crying out. We rushed him to the emergency vet, but by the time we arrived, he no longer had a heartbeat.
We have been devastated by Splotchy’s loss. We had imagined having him with us for another five to seven years, so losing him so suddenly feels especially heartbreaking. After everything he had endured, we finally had the chance to give him the life he deserved—and we were given only a short time. We try to take comfort in knowing that those two months were the ones he had been waiting for his whole life. He knew what it felt like to be safe, cared for, and deeply loved. He knew what it was like to be someone’s beloved and special pet. We will always be grateful that, even if only for a little while, we were able to give Splotchy the home and love he deserved.
