06/16/2026
🐠 Fishlegs 🐠
Autumn 2025 ~ June 15, 2026
We loved Fishlegs, and it broke all of our hearts to have to let her go. But ultimately, we agreed with the veterinarians, and it was a relief to have the closure we needed to move forward for our Fishy girl. Rescue is about enduring pain on behalf of the animals so that they don’t have to endure it, and we were happy to take it on for Fishlegs. We will hurt for her, so she doesn’t have to.
Fishy, we will continue to keep your best friend and cuddle buddy Gronkle safe and comfortable for you.
Rest in purrs, Fishlegs. Your favorite ORCA staffer can’t wait for you to come back “home” to be with her!
🐠 Fishlegs’ Journey 🐠
Fishlegs came into ORCA right after the holidays. She was little and sick, but she was spirited, and it didn’t take long for her to rebound from the upper respiratory infection that brought her to our doorstep. Yet her eyes, which had been infected and very squinty, didn’t seem to be any better. In fact, her eyes almost seemed worse. Not only was she squinting, but her lids were flickering rapidly, and her face was pulsating and twitching rapidly.
Through January, February, March, April, and May, we pursued treatment for Fishlegs’ eyes. There were multiple appointments with multiple veterinarians treating for infections (bacterial and viral) with ointments, drops, and oral medications, using just about every antibiotic invented and even strong anti-virals as well as anti-inflammatories. But no matter what we gave her, the flickering and twitching continued and even worsened.
At the recommendation of several veterinarians, Fishlegs became a feline vampire and lived in darkness, because natural sunlight and indoor lighting made her squint and flicker more. She would also hide away and the vets said she was most likely developing headaches. We staff members hung blackout curtains on the windows, would use small lamps and flashlights to conduct our rescue work in the large rooms she resided in, wrote big, bold warnings to each other to KEEP THE LIGHTS OFF!, and the few cats she lived with also adapted to being furry vampires alongside her.
In March, while Fishlegs continued to live like a vampire, at the recommendation of one of our veterinarians, we started her on a low dose of pain medication, because while we were still determined to try to find an answer for what was wrong we wanted to make her life more tolerable for her in the meantime. The medication seemed to make a difference - she was a little more outgoing once again, and a little less twitchy. (this medication is primarily a nerve pain medication, so it would make sense that if her nerves were misfiring, it would help her by calming those nerves).
Fishlegs continued to undergo testing: bloodwork, urine analysis, eye pressure and fluid tests. Everything came back normal, within normal limits, “nothing of note” or “unremarkable”.
Finally, in early June, at the recommendation of a fellow rescuer, we took Fishlegs to a veterinary ophthalmologist (Lancaster Veterinary Specialists). They told us what we desperately did not want to hear: we had exhausted every avenue to help Fishlegs, they had no other suggestions, and they in fact did not even have a name for what was wrong with her. Their collective recommendation was to put an end to what they believed was a life of endless suffering. Fishlegs would otherwise have to live in darkness, and never be able to be vaccinated or spayed. She would forever be susceptible to any number of illnesses and would require special living conditions, and would still be resigned to living in pain. That is no life to force onto any animal.
On June 15, 2026, we said goodbye to Fishlegs, and she is now swimming with the rest of her Toothless family, free of pain, and able to see, and for others to finally be able to see her beautiful eyes.
🐠 P.S. We’re also very appreciative of , who appreciated Fishlegs enough to give us a gorgeous painting of her (it is hanging in our office) - she lives on through his capture of her!
