On a clear Monday evening in November 2006, one of our volunteers finished her shift at the sanctuary, drove down the block and watched in horror as a cat was struck by the car in front of her. Pulling over (the other car didn't), she found that the beautiful long-haired Siamese mix was alive, but clearly in great pain.

X-rays revealed a fractured pelvis and a "tail-pull" injury, the likely result of the cat's tail being jerked under a tire. This sounds harmless enough since the tail isn't a vital organ-yet, in a sense it is, because a number of nerves extend from the spinal column into the tail area, and the nerve endings control movement and feeling not only in the tail itself, but also in the hind legs, large intestine and bladder. Among the consequences can be incontinence, which was the case with this precious girl.

We brought her home to our sanctuary with a regimen of medications, a 50/50 chance of recovery and a name. Several months and a lot of patience later, Mercedes had regained use of all bodily functions, save for an inability to raise her tail in greeting or gratitude.

But then came her first seizure, presumably a remnant of head trauma from the accident. Fortunately, her seizures are rare and they may eventually subside. For now, we just keep a close eye on her and see to it that she's as happy and comfortable as possible.

Mercedes was incredibly lucky to survive the accident. Please don't let her luck run out. Help us to give her every possible chance at finding a forever home and sponsor her today!

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For more information about seizures in cats: http://www.peteducation.com