11-27-13 Lil Bud the Cat Update : )

It seems the road to recovery for Lil' Bud has been great so far. The Vet at Island Paws says she is very impressed with how fast he is healing up after the surgery from September. Lil' Bud has been to the marina a few days each week visiting his mom (mama Mary), as well as a lot of other people who stopped by to say hi to him. He's still spending most of his day in the cage, but is allowed up to 4 hours of "no cage/play" time now. Both adults and kids have been giving him attention while he was at the marina visiting, so he's loving that. Lil' Bud has also been getting his fair share of fresh fish lately. A lot of the mates and captains have been giving him some prime pieces of snapper and tuna to snack on, just like old days. Hopefully by the end of next month he will be back in action and out of the cage completely, greeting fisherman in the mornings, and jumping from boat to boat looking for fish snacks.

Thanks again to everyone who helped the little guy out, and make sure to pet him for a touch of good luck before your next fishing trip. A lot of cats have made their homes at the south end of Upper Matecumbe Key over the years, but this furry friend is lucky to have so many people looking out for him.

Great fishing if your in Mexico

If anyone is visiting Mexico and looking for some world class sailfishing down south, be sure to look up the Poverty Sucks fishing team.  Capt. Dietmar Kossmann runs a gorgeous 53 foot hatteras full time down in the Riviera Maya.  The sailfish fishing is world class there and Capt. Dietmar is a former Bud n' Mary's captain himself, also uncle to Capt. Rick and Capt. Nick Stanczk.  He brings the professionalism and knowledge of an Islamorada captain to the world of saltwater fishing in Mexico.  You can also reach them at:

Poverty Sucks Fishing Charters
P.O. BOX 707
Islamorada, Florida 33036
Phone: 305-304-6083

Poverty Sucks Fishing Website

11-4-13 "Lil Bud" the Cat continues to improve

Well it's been a couple of weeks since our last update on our little furry friend Lil' Bud, so here it is. He has been back to Island Paws Veterinary Hospital a couple of times, and they believe he is making a remarkable recovery since the surgery. He is getting a lot of strength back in his rear legs (where all the tendons were torn), and his hip socket seems to be getting stronger and stronger. Lil Bud is still a little wobbly walking around, laying down after a short while, but he's been able to go a little furhter each week. Island Paws said he's allowed outside the cage now for 1 - 2 hours per day to stretch and walk around, but we still need to keep his movement limited to help assure the best possible outcome. He has made a few appearances at the marina, and spent sometime in the office in the cage, but hopefully by this time next month he's back on the docks and boats where he belongs. The Vet also said they adored the little fellow so much they wanted him to enter the animal Halloween Costume Contest even though he wasn't in tip top shape. Now Lil Bud wasn't in the best of moods this day, but he did dress up as a grumpy little fisherman and pose for a quick picture. He received quite a few votes, but will have to try again next year for a top 3 finish. Just want to say a big THANKS to everyone who has helped the little guy out. A lot of people have stopped by to see him and we apologize he hasn't been there, but hopefully next time you're down in Islamorada you can catch up with him when he's back in action. We also received a story similar to his, where a man adopted a cat who had been in an accident, even though they said the cat's life wouldn't be as long as usual, but 19 years later he still has that lucky cat. Things like that give us all inspiration for animals and I hope Lil Bud turns out to be just like that cat. Also a few weeks back Lil Bud received a pair of crutches to help him get around. We were really hoping he'd be walking around on them, but all he does is seem to play with them. That's all for now, and in a couple of weeks I'll give you another update on our little orange friend. Thanks again to everyone for helping out Lil Bud : )

10-17-13 "Lil Bud" Update. He is taking some steps...

Well I suppose being a cat in a cage is like being a baitfish in a livewell, all they want to do is get out! Lil' Bud is making some great progess after his surgery from the hit and run accident, and the vet says everything looks great so far. Last week, at Island Paws Vet,  Lil Bud had the staples removed from his back leg where they repaired his broken hip socket. He is getting strength back in his lower legs too, where all of the ligament damage was. He still has a miniminum of 5-6 weeks living in the cage, (could be 7-8 weeks), that way he doesn't put too much strain on his legs. We have been letting him out a few minutes each day, and he walks a little bit before sitting down. He also loves stretching out his back legs. Lil' Bud has been at the marina a few days to see his mom (mama Mary). I think she likes all the attention she's getting now, but when Lil' Bud comes back in a month or two, they'll have to share the attention. Thanks again to everyone who helped him out, and to all of the people who have still stopped in and written letters. This is one lucky cat to have had this many people want to help him out. When your down here for your winter fishing trip this year, make sure to say hey to him, he's been known to give fisherman good luck for the day after getting a little attention. 

"Lil' Bud" the Cat UPDATE since surgery 10-1-13

Well we couldn't be happier with all the care and love "Lil' Bud" has received the past couple of weeks since his tragic accident. There have been so many generous people helping support his surgery with donations as well as just wishing him luck. Today he was released from the vet office, Island Paws, after undergoing surgery to repair his broken hip and pelvis. He had multiple xrays taken, lots of pain medication and antibiotics, as well as TLC from a great vet office. Sara, who works in the tackle shop, and originally adopted "Lil' Bud" and his mom "Mama Mary" for the marina, has taken him home to help with the recovery. A healthy recovery is expected, but it's going to be at least 10 - 12 weeks with minimal movement for him. We expect by Christmas time "Lil' Bud" will be roaming the docks again and ready for more snuggling and picture taking. Hopefully we can sneak him a little fresh fish to snack on while he recovers, since he won't be jumping on the boats catching his own for the next couple of months. We'll keep you updated on his progress and here's a few pictures to show what's been done so far. The online donation fund is still active if you wish to contribute, as he will require ongoing vet care. Thanks so much to all the generous people and his fan club, and don't forget to pet "Lil' Bud" before your next fishing trip for some good luck (he should be back in action by Christmas) 

Lil' Bud's xray : (

Lil' Bud was extremely happy to get out of the vet's office and has his favorite fishing lure to play with as he recovers the next 10 - 12 weeks (although he might chew it in 1/2 and require a new one before then)

Lil' Bud was an extremely cute Kitten, and everyone that see's him adores him (except the dogs, they like to chase him)