Tabby kitten sitting on a stool in his forever home.

Meet The Cannoli Fund’s 2014 Fiesta Medal Cat Model: Jaime

An emaciated kitten, rescued from the streets, after his first bath
Jaime, exhausted, starving, and sick, after being picked up from a puddle in a Southtown street.
A sickly kitten curls up in a warm towel after being rescued during a rainstorm.
Jaime, now safe, cuddles up in a warm towel.
A formerly stray kitten eating.
Two weeks into Jaime’s recovery, he can now eat a little by himself.

Driving down a Southtown street during a July 2013 rainstorm, a construction worker spotted a tiny, drenched tabby kitten just sitting in the middle of the road. He stopped, picked up the helpless kitten, wrapped him in his shirt, and drove to the house he was working on. The owner of that home knew about The Cannoli Fund and called one of our board members. That evening, after a bath to remove his fleas, some kitten milk syringed down his throat, and lots of additional TLC, the kitten, named Jaime after his rescuer, slept in a warm box in a bathtub. It was not clear if he would make it through the night. First thing the next morning, he was taken to the vet.

Jaime was the smallest, scrawniest kitten even our experienced kitten-rescuers had ever seen. The vet agreed, describing him as “emaciated.” Jaime was so terribly underweight, his body temperature was extremely low. He also had a skin condition, an upper respiratory infection, eye discharge, and ear mites. The vet sent Jaime home with medicine, instructions to keep him warm and to feed him very small amounts of high-calorie food as often as possible, via a syringe. No one was sure Jaime would make it. A heating pad was added to Jaime’s bed, and he spent the next week eating and sleeping–and surviving.

Tabby kitten sitting on a stool in his forever home.
Jaime in his forever home, now eight months old.

Little by little he grew stronger, eventually climbing out of the bathtub and starting to explore the bathroom and beyond. Thanks to The Cannoli Fund’s Cannolicare program, he’s also been neutered and has all his shots, and is a healthy cat. After spending about six weeks alone, recuperating, Jaime was introduced to Harold and Mary, two other formerly sickly kittens who were also being fostered by a Cannoli Fund volunteer. They soon became fast friends! Today, he is the liveliest young guy you’d ever want to see. Jaime had the amazing luck of finding a forever home who adopted him along with his best buddies, Harold and Mary. He wrestles with his adopted siblings and plays with manic energy, yet Jaime is also very fond of human snuggles! The Cannoli Fund was thrilled to be able to help save Jaime’s life and thinks he makes a wonderful medal model this year. You can purchase Jaime’s medal at The Cannoli Fund’s medal shop and at a variety of local businesses.