Carl ended up at Hamilton Animal Services when his owner moved out and left him behind. When he arrived at the shelter, Carl was infested with fleas, and his nails had curled and imbedded into the pads of his feet. Poor Carl had been suffering for a long time. Shelter staff gave him a flea treatment, and they immediately trimmed his nails. They soon noticed that Carl had a pronounced limp on his right front leg that didn’t seem to be caused by the overgrown nails. X-rays showed a possible tumour, or an infection of the bone, but more testing was needed to know for sure.
Because HAS is a municipal shelter, they’re limited by the amount of money they can spend medically treating animals, so they reached out to us for help. We got Carl out of the shelter and into the vet for neutering. While he was under, the vet took samples from the leg that will be sent away for testing. Hopefully we’ll soon know what we’re dealing with, so we can get Carl feeling better asap.
Through all this, Carl has been the sweetest kitty, ever. He purrs, and head bonks, and rolls, and has constant happy feet. He’s beyond friendly, and a shining example of resilience.
We’ll have an update on Carl when we get the test results back. Fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious!

Welcome to Ladybird, Carl! We’re so happy you’re here.

February 9, 2024 UPDATE
Not exactly the news we wanted to bring you about Carl, but his condition is much more complicated than first thought.
Sparing you the many complicated medical terms, lab results have shown that Carl likely has a bone infection that has spread from the bones of his right foot to his leg, sternum, and ribs. When he first arrived into our care, it was thought that removing his leg would fix the problem, but sadly it would not. We’ll be doing another biopsy and x-rays in the coming weeks to check for any changes or spread of the infection, but the specialists have noted that Carl’s condition is not treatable beyond the pain management he is currently receiving. Had his previous owner sought out medical treatment for Carl when they first noticed his limp, there might have been a chance for curative action. But the infection has gone on too long and spread too far now.
Thankfully, Carl is taking it all in stride. He is eating, drinking, and using the litter normally. He does walk with a limp, but he still gets around okay. Despite his condition, Carl is the biggest snuggle bug. He wants nothing more than to be cuddled up with his foster mom, or any visitors who come by. He loves absolutely everyone.
Because of his diagnosis, we’ve made Carl a permanent resident. This means he will stay in his forever foster home under our care for as long as his health and quality of life allow. Carl is such a gem. We’re sad about his diagnosis, but glad he will be loved and spoiled for the rest of his days.

We love you very much, Carl!

October 1, 2024
Sweet Carl is gone. 💔
He was diagnosed with a rare disease called Hypervitaminosis A, and it slowly took his mobility and quality of life. He was relieved of his suffering at home, which was the best place for him and for those who loved him. We are so thankful that Carl had his amazing foster family to care for him during his time with them. There was no shortage of love and cuddles for Carl, and we will be forever thankful to his foster family for seeing him through until the end.
Because very little is known about Hypervitaminosis A, Carl’s body was donated to OVC in hopes they can learn more about the condition and be able to help other cats diagnosed with it in the future.

Rest in peace, Carl. We will never forget you.