Yenti

Little Yenti passed away this afternoon.

She had been eating like a moose but she has had a stubborn eye infection and over the weekend I noticed hair loss on the knee area of her back legs. So when Dr. Alcala was at BlueBell yesterday, I had her come down to the Lower House to just give a visual exam - since we all know you can't touch Yenti unless of course you have chicken! I have the scars to prove that!

She was in the large bed on the top ledge inside and Dr. Alcala walked up to her and was able to scratch her head - which was an "uh-oh, something's wrong" for those of us who know her. And then she was able to scratch her back and Yenti just lay there, which was a really bad sign. She had eaten great the night before and Santiago said she had eaten well in the morning.

David (the vet tech) was there and was able to carry her to the Upper House in his arms and she didn't move. They took her to Canyon and started her on IV fluids and ran bloodwork. She still was eating last night but obviously not acting like the feral girl she is.

The results came back today and they were not good; high Phosphorous values, her kidneys were failing and a high WBC count which means some sort of infection. The prognosis was not good and her little body was failing quickly.

One of the volunteers, Rose, always brought cooked egg yolk for her - another of her favorites. I brought her some this afternoon and when I first approached her cage, she had her head down and was resting. But I called her name and started crumbling the egg on a plate outside her cage, she lifted her head, started sniffing and made a few of her cries. She buried her little face in that plate and ate almost two whole egg yolks!! And in typical Yenti fashion , her little face was covered in egg. She let me scratch her head, ears and chin - and being feral, she had never been able to let her defenses down to receive all that love before. I think she liked it.

Donna held her and I stroked her head and we told her we loved her and would miss her and that she would see all her friends again and that she was going to a place with unlimited chicken and egg yolk. Dr. Alcala administered the injection and it was extremely quick and peaceful.

Yenti was a little fighter. She was just 2 pounds at the end, but she could eat her weight and then some, in chicken! I will always remember her unique little cries as she followed us around begging for chicken, even when she had some pieces still hanging from her face. And seeing her bury her face in the big plate of wet food and just eat and eat and eat. And sitting outside in the sunshine, or inside on a blanket which I would lay on the floor in the sun.

We'll never forget you little Yenti. Be at peace little one.

. . . .Memories from Joyce - A Blue Bell staff member