04/27/2026
Meet Lou Lou,
a strictly indoor cat.
Lou Lou was a rescue cat living on the street before she was adopted.
She was pregnant when found, just a baby herself, yet she delivered a littter of 3 kittens at East Lake who were lucky to be adopted quickly.
As often happens, the kittens are placed first, and the mother is left behind.
For Kate Wagner, East Lake Cat Care Center manager, adopting Lou Lou was an easy choice. It was one of those "love at first sight" things...
Kate prepared the nest. Plush beds... a toy box packed with anything a cat could ever want...strategically placed furniture to provide for squirrel and birdwatching at the giant windows in Kate's home. Neighbors have come to enjoy knowing Lou Lou as "the cat in the window" as they walk with their dogs around the area where Kate lives.
Kate thought she was all settled in with Lou Lou and that her house and home were complete. Lou Lou had been spayed and vaccinated and Revolution parasite prevention was already on board.
What Kate didn't bargain for was what a blood test revealed.
Lou Lou's test showed that she already had heart worms.
To look at Lou Lou, you would never know this.
As it turns out, Lou Lou was already incubating heart worm disease when Kate adopted her. All it took was the bite of one mosquito to infect her.
Sadly, If Lou Lou had been started on the topical preventative product called Revolution, even a little bit sooner, the worm would have never had the chance to develop in her tiny heart.
Unfortunately, there is no licensed or approved treatment to cure heart worms in cats, and even one worm can kill a cat.
Now, Lou Lou's options are a risky open heart surgery to physically remove the worms or to follow a supportive care treatment plan utilizing new medications to help avoid complications of worm die off which can trigger a respiratory crisis similar to a fatal asthma attack.
Now, Kate is arming herself with an intensive treatment plan with her East Lake doctors which includes antibiotics, cortisone medications and a newer medication called montelukast which fights inflammation cased by the worm.
Those familiar with this latest medication have called it "a game changer" in helping cats to survive heart worm infections.
When Kate was asked how she felt about Lou Lou's future care needs she said:
" I would have given anything to have found Lou Lou sooner, and to have had her on Revolution quicker.
That would have given me peace of mind, and kept her protected from this ordeal. I'm not giving up, and I'm really trying to stay positive. My hope is that this new treatment will save her, and that our story will help other cats. It's just too easy to look at your cat and think, "oh, she's fine"... or "she's a house cat, she couldn't possibly get heart worm"... or "she barely goes outside"...truth is, one mosquito bite can kill your cat and this is a completely preventable disease. If speaking up helps another cat, everything we are going through will be worth it. In the meantime, pray for us both. I really love this cat."
