Someone once said, "Life is a series of breaths. Each one is a new beginning." Sasha and Polly know exactly what this means.

Sasha and Polly have similar stories, both are seniors who found themselves in animal shelters needing help. Both of these lovely ladies have a host of health problems, including asthma.

While asthma might not be the first thing you think of when you think about feline health concerns, it is something that can affect them and greatly impact their quality of life. Symptoms of asthma in cats include difficulty breathing, rapid or open-mouthed breathing (aka panting), wheezing, coughing or hacking, and even vomiting. During an asthma attack, cats will often hunch down close to the ground and extend their head forwards to elongate their necks (an example of this posture is below).

Diagnosing asthma is usually done through x-rays, and treatment can include corticosteroids and bronchodilators. These medications can be given orally, inhaled, or injected depending on the cat. For Sasha, we tried to give her medication via the inhaled method, but she didn't like that very much, so we switched to pills given orally. Polly is a bit of a pistol for taking medication, so she started her asthma medications as pills that can be hidden in her food. Shhh...don't tell her!

Both of these girls are now breathing freely because of your support for June's Senior Cat Rescue. You are their breath of fresh air, and we can't thank you enough!!

If you'd like to become a monthly sponsor for Polly or Sasha, please click HERE.

Your donations make it possible for us to help special needs seniors, to donate click HERE.