What does being a no-kill shelter mean, in practice, to a cat?

We are occasionally asked what a no-kill shelter is. This story is a very recent example of a no-kill policy in action, to help explain how it works and why it is crucial.

One of our sister rescue shelters, the Great Catsby, has been caring for a beautiful little white female cat called Cris since late last year. Cris was rescued along with two of her sisters from a yard in Tulcea. They had become homeless when their owner passed away, leaving them with no one to care for them.

Cris and her sisters when first rescued

Cris and her sisters were given the usual checks and treatments, and it was not long, probably because of their young age and striking white coats, before two were adopted. Cris waited patiently for her loving new home, but soon into the New Year, her foster carer reached out in dismay. Cris had turned yellow (developed jaundice), was extremely lethargic, and had lost her appetite. She was in a serious condition.

Cris was rushed to a vet in Tulcea, but they were unable to collect blood for testing, and so, assuming it was a liver issue, they started her immediately on liver medication.

One week later, Cris’s condition had worsened. She was in a terrible condition by now, and so was rushed to Top Care Vet in Bucharest for specialist care. They found her blood itself to be visibly yellow. Tests revealed, however, that liver failure was not the issue. Severe anemia was caused by hemolysis.

She was critically underweight, too, less than 2 kg at 7– 8 months old.