We’re devastated.
Late last night, Oscar’s foster mom noticed that something wasn’t right. Though he was still being his sweet and purry self, Oscar’s breathing was noticeably laboured. Foster mom took Oscar to the after hours emergency vet where he had multiple tests done. It was discovered that Oscar had a lot of fluid in his lungs. A procedure was done to remove the fluid, which turned out to be blood. His lungs were full to the brim with it. This was obviously not a good sign – but even worse, xrays showed that blood had flooded his lungs again shortly after. This type of severe bleeding in the lungs was not something that could be corrected with surgery or medication. We aren’t sure if the mass on his chin was cancerous and it had spread to his lungs, or if this was another ailment altogether, but Oscar’s condition was dire. After extensive discussions with the vets and Oscar’s foster mom, the heartbreaking decision was made to relieve Oscar of his suffering. He passed peaacefully, cradled in his foster mom’s arms, purring the whole time.

Though Oscar was only with us for a few days, we had all grown very attached to him. It’s hard not to be angry at his previous owner for abandoning him when he needed them most, but we are thankful he was surrounded by love from the moment he came into our care, right until the end.
💔
Rest in peace, Oscar. We will never forget your sweet face.

Oscar ended up at Hamilton Animal Services as a stray. When Oscar arrived at the shelter, he was very, very thin, and he had a large mass hanging from his chin. The shelter sent Oscar to the vet where the abscess was lanced and drained. The mass was still quite large after it was drained, it was still seeping, which was a bit odd. Oscar was otherwise happy, so he was sent back to the shelter to wait out his stray time.
No owner came forward to claim Oscar, so the shelter reached out for help. We were happy to get this extra-friendly boy out of the shelter and we took him straight to the vet. Judging by the size and shape of the mass, the vet is thinking it is likely cancerous. A sample was drawn to send out for testing, and we’re now awaiting the results. If it’s possible for Oscar to have surgery to remove the mass, the surgery will have to be done at a specialist vet clinic because of its placement on Oscar’s face. We will definitely get him that surgery if it is an option, but for now, we have to wait and see what the test results say.
We hope Oscar can be treated and eventually be made available for adoption, but for now, hes loving life in his foster home. He has a purr and a head-bonk for everyone he meets. Such a sweet boy.

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