🐾 The Story of Chop Styx

Written by his original caretaker, Kurt Oldenburg

🕊 A New Beginning

Hello, my name is Kurt Oldenburg, and I am a resident in the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR) in Yuma, Arizona.

In January 2022, I made a purposeful life decision — to learn how to love again — by becoming a caretaker for our local cat population. Every day, with consistency, I began caring for a mama cat with two approximately four-month-old sister kittens and an adult male who had already been named Boo.

Mama became affectionately named Moma, and her two babies were Baby Fluff and Baby Bo.

After several months, Baby Fluff and Baby Bo began to initiate contact with me through Boo, who quite frankly paved the way for introduction with the babies. As Boo and I developed our relationship, the babies would watch us interact, and gradually they began to open up, too.

Their Moma, after about two years, began to open up ever so slightly to human contact with me.

☀️ Growing a Family

In early 2022, two new cats joined our little family — an adult female and an adult male. I named the female Sunshine, and my dear friend Patrick named the male Milo.

In October 2022, Patrick and his wife Laura adopted Sunshine and her two one-week-old babies, Tucker and Cooper. They are still together to this very day.

In mid-November 2022, Moma returned with a new little one following her. I named the precious baby girl Baby Yara.

In January 2023, Baby Bo — for reasons unbeknownst to me, for she was well loved and cared for by me and others — decided to move to another unit about fifty yards north of our home within the complex, where I later learned she began a family of her own. I miss her dearly.

🌈 Loss and Love

In September 2023, we lost Milo and Baby Yara from contact with a poison they had come into contact with.

There was an investigation by the authorities, and it was found that someone had illegally smuggled in rat poison for the purpose of eliminating our cats. It was determined that the poison did not originate from the ADCRR’s contracted pest control company.

I found Baby Yara in the early morning, already passed. Three weeks later, Milo passed in my arms.

Then, in March 2024, Baby Fluff, who had become my dearest and closest friend and daughter, also passed in my arms. My dear friend Rick was with us.

A few short months later, Rick was released. He and his dear wife, Kathie, came and picked up Boo. I would have gotten Moma out too, but I hadn’t seen her in a couple of months — and I still haven’t seen her since.

Boo is now with a most precious woman — Lynne — and together with her son, they care for Boo, now affectionately named Boo Bear.

Lynne and her son care for many cats; in fact, they have been the saving grace for all of the cats they care for. They started a nonprofit fostering program and sanctuary called Purr & Pour Cat Sanctuary, located here in Yuma.

💕 Meeting Chop Styx

Shortly after Boo Bear’s rescue, I was transferred to another unit in the ADCRR Yuma complex, where I found a small colony of eight cats. Since my arrival, I’ve been caring for them the best I can.

A small Siamese male — whom the other males picked on — found a special place in my heart. My friend named him Chop Styx.

After several months, Chop Styx grew to trust me and initiated contact with me. It was then I realized he had vision difficulties. Chop Styx became very dependent on my care, and every morning he would come running as fast as he could to me when I called for him.

🙏 The Rescue

A few months later, ADCRR decided to move the entire pod that I lived in to the other side of the unit. Fortunately, I was not moved in the first week, giving me time — Lord willing — to make accommodations for Chop Styx, especially considering how dependent he had become on my care and the fact that he was being pushed out by the other males in the colony.

I reached out to my dear friends Rick and Kathie, and to Lynne.

Our Lord provided a way for Chop Styx, and we were able to successfully rescue him into Lynne and her son’s care.

🏥 A Fight for Life

After about a month, Chop Styx stopped eating, and Lynne and her son rushed him to the hospital, where we learned he was suffering from kidney intoxication.

It is unknown what caused this condition. I’ve since learned Chop Styx is between six and seven years old.

It’s a very tough life for our cats here inside this place. They are almost completely dependent on the kindness of humans — being isolated in the middle of a sand desert with very little life.

Chop Styx was in ICU for nearly two weeks. He is now stable on a special diet and a daily medication of Activated Charcoal.

A complication from his elevated blood pressure while he was in ICU caused his vision to deteriorate further. We still believe his retinas have not detached, which gives us hope for the restoration of his sight.

About three weeks after returning home, Chop Styx was scheduled for follow-up blood work. We learned his kidneys are doing much better; however, his white blood cells are elevated and his red blood cells are too low.

We are doing further testing to determine whether he can safely be administered a medication to alleviate the pressure in his eyes and — Lord willing — restore his vision.

💗 A Plea for Help

Chop Styx is such a loving little guy. He deserves a chance at a good and loving life outside of the sand dunes of this prison.

Having rescued him and with the promise of a better life — please help us help him.

I love you, and I thank you. I am deeply appreciative of any and all help you may be led by the Spirit to give to help save our Chop Styx.

Thank you!
— Kurt Oldenburg