A new fund honoring a Sylvania man and his bond with a pet cat is helping felines in need get a second chance.
Phoebe’s Fund, established in December at Paws and Whiskers Cat Shelter, is designated to help cats with high-cost medical needs.
“For a shelter, it’s amazing to have that kind of cushion to know that if an emergency walks through the door, we don’t have to make a decision based on money,” Alexandria Jones, shelter manager said.
Susan Matz of Sylvania seeded the fund with $30,000 in memory of her late husband, Robert. Mr. Matz died in February, 2015, of brain cancer. He shared an intense bond with one of the couple’s cats, an orange and white tabby named Phoebe, and gained significant comfort from the sweet feline throughout his grueling treatment and, later, as he was dying.
“As things progressed, I knew I wanted to do something in his memory,” Mrs. Matz said. “His relationship with Phoebe was so wonderful. She really did give him a lot of comfort, especially in those last weeks in hospice.”
Mrs. Matz has also committed to matching $5,000 in donations to the fund each year.
While Phoebe came from a Michigan shelter, Paws and Whiskers became a primary charity the Matzes supported when they returned to Toledo in 2010.
“I know that PAWS has struggled for years with veterinary funds, especially when they have cats with extraordinary needs,” Mrs. Matz said. “In perpetuity, there would be monies available [in Phoebe’s Fund] to supplement their basic allocation for veterinary care.”
Phoebe, who is now 14, was able to visit Mr. Matz in hospice. At her first visit, she immediately glued herself to his side and refused to move, even when nurses arrived to adjust Mr. Matz’s position.
“The minute I got her into the room and opened her carrier door, she took one look and jumped up on his bed and stayed there for eight straight hours,” Mrs. Matz said. “The last time I took her, a few days before he died, she seemed to know. I tried to put her in the carrier and she kept jumping out.”
Phoebe’s Fund has already helped a handful of cats, Miss Jones said. An adoptable black male named Shadow is the most recent beneficiary.
Shadow, who is estimated at 3 to 5 years old, arrived as a stray Jan. 9 unable to use his rear legs and leaking urine. Phoebe’s Fund took care of diagnostic tests and a complete vetting for Shadow, and is continuing to pay for daily medication to help with his bladder control.
Veterinarians determined Shadow has nerve damage, though the cause is unknown. His condition is not painful and he is otherwise happy and healthy.
Miss Jones said Shadow still gets around well. He can use his rear legs to a very limited degree, but often chooses not to do so because it is easier to simply pull himself along with his front legs.
“He can stand straight up if he puts a lot of effort into it, but he does not have full range of motion,” Miss Jones said. “He gets around like any other cat would. He just can’t climb things.”
Donations to Phoebe’s Fund can be made online at pawsandwhiskers.org/phoebes-fund/ or by mailing a check with “Phoebe’s Fun” on the memo line to the shelter at 32 Hillwyck Dr., Toledo, 43615.
First Published March 4, 2019, 7:55 p.m.
