Diesel’s Story, by Eva St Onge
In late November, 2021, I was traveling in Kotor. Returning from a hike one evening, I heard faint cries coming from under a car. Following the sound, I bent down and pulled out a kitten: eyes glued shut with mucus, sticky fur smelling like engine oil, and little paws cold as icicles.
The Poor little kitty, perhaps only 6 weeks old, was weak, cold, scared, lonely, confused and struggling to breathe. No wonder he was crying non-stop! After warming and feeding him, I held him all night, trying to comfort him. The next morning I noticed some little black paw prints from engine oil on my shirt. So he earned his name: Diesel.
I planned to leave Kotor the next day, so I had to quickly find a solution for Diesel. I texted KOTOR KITTIES, who helped me get in touch with the local coordinator of community cat caretakers, Danijela. She owns a cat-themed souvenir shop in the Old Town. I bundled Diesel up in a bag, held him firmly in my arms and walked 50 minutes to meet Danijela.
Upon arrival, Danijela Knezevic gave him antibiotics and eye cream. Then she instructed me to put him in the “colony”, referring to a group of strays that are fed by volunteers. It was a courtyard next to the church inside the Old Town Wall. There were four little houses and many plates of food. About 40 cats of all sizes called it home.
I fought back tears as I struggled to leave him there on his own. “Be good. Don’t wander off. Make new friends. Eat your food. Wash your face…” Like a mom dropping off her child on the first day of school, I whispered motherly advice in his ears, except that I added “Get fixed” which wasn’t what a normal mom would say to her kids. And I knew I wouldn’t come back to bring him home. I walked away briskly.
Kotor Kitties volunteers Caren and Kenric were like angels dropped from the sky. They arrived two days after I left, and took Diesel in to make sure he got medical attention. They cooked him fresh minced meat and eggs. They took him to the vet. When his system reacted to the anti-parasite medicine, they nursed him with love. Within a few days, that scrawny little kitten was transformed into a handsome playful cutie pie. I posted on every FB page in Montenegro to look for a family for Diesel.
But then violent diarrhea and vomiting started.
Soon they had to force-feed Diesel and give him rice water every hour. The next few days were a roller coaster ride: he perked up briefly and went down again.
Two followers wrote Danijela wanting to adopt him. After some consideration and a reference check call, Diesel was going to Podgorica for adoption! Caren told him he would be living in the capital city, and he gave her the biggest round eyes! His adoptive Mommy said she would come to Kotor to pick him up on Saturday.
“You’ve got to get well very soon, Diesel Boy!”
Caren and Kenric gave Diesel round-the-clock care, including hourly feeding and trips to the vet, but Diesel still got weaker.
Diesel’s tiny head thrashed every now and then. He was cold. I held him. It was raining hard. I thought about the thousands and thousands of homeless kittens that died of Panleukopenia; about their last days, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, depression, thirsty but couldn’t drink, hungry but couldn’t eat. It is a horrible death that is preventable with a simple vaccine. I am so sad for all of them.
Caren Leong
Diesel stopped breathing just two days before he would go to his forever family. We were all devastated. We lost him to the Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV), highly contagious, and extremely deadly for unvaccinated kittens. It could have been prevented with a simple vaccine.
The Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV) is highly contagious, and is extremely deadly for unvaccinated kittens especially those who live in shelters or colonies. But, this virus is everywhere and can live on for years. Only serious and methodical disinfecting using bleach and water can kill it.
Caren Leong
Caren and Kenric buried Diesel with his favorite toys in a ravine overlooking San Giovanni Fortress.
Although Diesel’s spirit left us, he did not leave us in darkness. His death inspired many friends and volunteers to connect sterilization and vaccination for viable, thriving community cat colonies. The Kotor Kitties American group set up a GoFundMe campaign, “A Candle for Diesel” to raise funds for vaccines for Montenegro’s community cats in memory of Diesel. So far we have purchased 500 vaccines. Our annual budget will be about $13,000 to vaccinate the nursing moms, kittens and young cats (with boosters). This fundraiser will be ongoing, as is the need for continued spay-neuter surgeries and humane education.
Just 5.50 euro can save a kitten like Diesel.
In memory of little Diesel, shall we all light a candle to help vaccinate Montenegro’s community cats?