Liam came to Hamilton Animal Services as a stray. He was in very rough shape when he arrived – lethargic, dehydrated, mouth breathing and in obvious discomfort. Shelter staff sent Liam to their vet. An x-ray was done, and it was thought that there might be some sort of foreign body making Liam feel so awful. Because of financial restrictions put on them by the city, HAS wasn’t able to provide Liam with the surgery, so they reached out to us for help.

We got Liam out of the shelter and he went straight to our vet. Multiple tests were run, and the xrays were repeated. Blood work showed that Liam is FIV. positive, but the rest of the bloodwork was mostly normal. The xrays showed that there isn’t a foreign body as was first thought, and skull xrays showed no sign of anything stuck up Liam’s nose or in his mouth that would be causing him to be so congested. He was put on medication and fluids and was under vet watch for the night. The next day, Liam seemed much more alert, but he still didn’t want to eat. The vet and clinic staff had to force fed him, and like most cats, he hated it. Liam remained pretty much the same over the following day, but he was fighting the force feeding to the point that he had to have a feeding tube inserted. It’s not good that he didn’t want to eat, but it was good that he had gained enough strength to fight being fed. While he was under to have the feeding tube inserted, samples were taken to be sent out for testing. There is the possibility of an undetectable tumour or cancer, but we won’t know until the results come back.

Sweet Liam will remain at the vet for now, where he can get the constant care he needs.
Other than not wanting to be force fed, Liam has been an absolute sweetheart. Even though he’s not feeling well, he still has a purr and a friendly head bonk for everyone he meets. So

We know Liam was owned by someone. As well as being found already neutered and declawed, it was clear Liam had been wearing a collar until very recently, as there is a perfect ring of missing fur around his neck where the collar had been. It’s heartbreaking to think that Liam’s owner abandoned him when he needed them most.

We can only continue medical treatment and send Liam positive thoughts for now. We hope he knows that no matter the diagnosis, we will be there for him.

Welcome to Ladybird, Liam. We’re so happy you’re here.

May 11,2025 UPDATE
Liam’s test results came back with no evidence of cancer, but he did test positive for feline herpes. It seems that the herpes paired with his FIV status has caused severe rhinitis. Rhinitis is a term that is used to describe cats who have suffered with long-term intermittent nasal discharge and sneezing, which causes damage to the delicate tissues inside the nose.
He was feeling well enough last week that he could have the IV removed, but he is still on the feeding tube. We continue to be in the “wait and see stage” to see if we can get him eating on his own again, and we’re keeping our hopes up.
We want to send a big thank you to the amazing vet and staff at West Park Animal Hospital for giving Liam the most incredible care.
Please send your love and well wishes to this sweet, sweet boy.

You can do it, Liam! We love you so much!

Declawing has long been thought of as a good option to prevent a cat from scratching furniture or carpets, but declawing is a literal amputation of last bone of the cat’s toes – not just “removing” the claws. It can cause behavioural issues such as increased aggression and can cause litter box issues. Declawing is an extremely painful procedure for a cat to go through, and can mean a lifetime of discomfort. Thankfully, many vets are no longer offering declawing at their clinics, and we hope to see a full ban on the procedure Canada wide. For more on the detriment of declawing and the many alternatives, check out The Paw Project.