Columbus, Ohio USA
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What the Rock?!
Relief Fund for Zorro Kitty
By Margaret Marten
August 2010 Issue

See Also: What The Rock and Bumble Show
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EDITOR'S NOTE: In December 2016, the store moved to 3039 Indianola Avenue after closing the 1194 N. High Street location.

Owners of What the Rock?!, a rock and roll boutique in the Short North, rescued a feral kitten in distress near their home in Italian Village last month and plan to give the kitty (Zorro) a permanent place as a shop cat in their Short North space at 1194 N. High Street.

Zorro will assume his duties at What the Rock?! once he has fully recovered from the ailments that sent owners Mike Renner and Heather Ziegler scrambling for the cat carrier and frantically calling veterinarian offices on a Friday night after finding his limp furry frame lying on a stoop covered with flies.

“He was just laying there. He would have died had we not taken him to the vet that night,” said Renner. The couple were already familiar with the frail neighborhood kitten and had made the decision to help him out but were unable to track him down until friends pointed him out lying on a step that fateful Friday night near a pocket park on Mount Pleasant Avenue.

Zorro was diagnosed with severe anemia from fleas and worms and placed in an incubator for the entire weekend after being rescued and taken to the vet. “We couldn’t watch the kitten just die on the steps. It was so sad. Heather and I are suckers,” said Renner.

With veterinary visits winding down, the medical bills began piling up, creating another crisis for the caring couple. A jar sits on the counter of their tiny shop, and contributions are trickling in, but Renner and Ziegler hope that once the word gets out, more donations will materialize to help cover the unexpected expense of caring for the kitten.

Currently quarantined in a room separate from Ziggy their other cat, Zorro is looking good now. “He’s a lover, always purring,” said Renner. “He’s definitely a survivor. He’s a good little fighter. He came back.”

If you wish to contribute to the Zorro Recovery Fund, checks can be made out to What the Rock?! and mailed to 1194 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43201. Their shop number is 614-294-9428. Visit www.whattherock.com. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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