Last June, Rosemary Chen left her Anaheim home for a wedding in Big Bear. She was suffering from a headache so she put several Advil capsules in a plastic bag and took them with her. When she returned home a couple of days later, she brought several of the capsules – still in the plastic bag – with her.
When she got home, she tossed the bag with the pills in a large basket. One evening a few days later she came home from work to find Advil capsules and the plastic bag scattered around the floor – and her black and white cat Simon acting strangely.
“The basket is pretty big and he just got them [the pills] out and played with them. He was sleeping and he didn’t want to eat. He usually eats a lot. And I thought, ‘Oh, maybe it has something to do with the pills.’ I think he ate at least one or two of them.
“So I called the cat clinic and they said to bring him there right away. They checked Simon and said that he needed treatment. It was going to cost a lot so I called around and asked for help because I couldn’t afford to pay that much. The pet clinic helped me and they found one organization [Angel Fund] that would help me, too. I really did appreciate that!”
The hospital, The Cat Care Clinic in Orange, diagnosed Simon with acute renal failure because of ibuprofen toxicity. They treated him for several days at the hospital. When Chen took him home he was the old Simon – curious, playful and affectionate.
The clinic and Angel Fund each contributed $250 to Simon’s care. Chen, who is a single mother with a modest income, paid off the balance over time.
Simon is “back to normal now,” she said. “I am happy and I really appreciate the help I got.”
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