Olivia: The One and Only

Olivia: The “One and Only”  

Olivia has many claims to fame in her household. She can jump into the air and catch a dragonfly. She can make her needs known with her expressive eyes and a quiet meow. She can “loaf” with the best of them, according to her owner Allison Libeu.

But Olivia is also possibly a “one and only” in the world of veterinary medicine. Or at least, one of the few. The lifesaving care she received from the team at the UC Veterinary Medical Center, San Diego (UCVMC-SD) more than a decade ago gave her the chance at a long and remarkable life. 

Now at 16 years old, Olivia may be one of the longest living cats with bilateral ureteral stents treated at the center. 

Finding Home

Olivia and her mother Abbie (named after characters in Law and Order) were feral cats living in the Orange County neighborhood Allison calls home. Olivia was just three months old when she and her mother showed up at Allison’s doorstep. 

Allison, who had been a dog person her entire life and whose grandparents bred Springer Spaniels, was allergic to cats. But something about the pair made her want to help them. She brought them in, and they immediately made themselves at home.

“Over time, my allergies resolved,” Allison said. “And Olivia and Abbie were just the sweetest cats to bring into my home.” 

Four Years Old: A Health Scare

Olivia was just four years old when she started vomiting repeatedly. Allison took her to their veterinarian, who referred her to a local veterinary hospital. There, diagnostic imaging revealed kidney stones, and Allison was referred to UCVMC-SD for specialized care.

At UCVMC-SD, specialists performed additional diagnostic testing and discovered that Olivia’s creatinine levels were extremely elevated, indicating a serious problem with her kidney function.

For Allison, the experience underscored the importance of having access to specialty expertise and advanced diagnostic technology when an animal is critically ill.

Olivia underwent emergency surgery at the center, where the UC Davis team placed stents in both ureters to allow urine to flow from her kidneys to her bladder.

“I know that many people face a choice when deciding how to help their animals,” Allison said. “This choice was easy for me. Olivia was so young, and such a part of the family.” 

…And Another Challenge

Olivia improved, for a time. Allison brought her home after a week of recovery at the center and fed her through a feeding tube for several weeks. 

But after several months, Olivia began showing signs of illness again. The UC Davis team found scar tissue blocking both stents requiring another surgery. The cycle repeated bringing additional stents, additional scar tissue and more procedures. 

“Olivia is a one-and-only for a lot of reasons,” said Allison, “But another one is that she was the second most difficult feline case that the center had seen, at least up to that point.” 

After yet another surgery to clear scar tissue from her stents, Allison recalled the team called to let her know the stents weren’t working. Olivia’s prognosis was uncertain. Allison, who had been making the drive from Orange County to San Diego every day to visit Olivia, was prepared for the worst. 

“But then, as I arrived for a visit that day, the team was thrilled to say that the fluid that had been collecting had finally passed!” Allison shared. “After that, she started to improve again, this time for good.”

More than a decade later, Olivia is still going strong.

Gratitude into Action

Allison recalls that over the years, she has experienced genuine compassion for both Olivia and her from every member of the UCVMC-SD team. “Everyone is tremendous,” she said. “They are so consistent in their work, empathetic, and kind. I am so grateful to have Olivia continue to be in their care, even at the age of 16.” 

That gratitude ultimately inspired Allison to make a gift to the new Janice K. Hobbs UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center Southern California, an expansion of the current center. 

As she looks forward to the new UC Davis Hobbs Veterinary Center’s opening this fall, Allison is excited to see the team continue its work with expanded specialty services, advanced technology and new spaces designed for complex veterinary care.

“Olivia’s story is one that many people have to face,” she said. “It is so important to have the best equipment possible.”

As the new center opens and grows, philanthropy will continue to help provide advanced equipment and technology, support compassionate care, and expand the resources available to specialists caring for patients with complex needs like Olivia’s.

For Allison, supporting the expansion is a way to honor the care that gave her so many more years with Olivia while helping make that same level of expertise available to more animals and families.

“I just want to do what I can to support UC Davis in doing the work that they do with caring for animals,” she said. “Anything I can do to make it easier for others is worth it.” 

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Learn more about the new UC Davis Hobbs Veterinary Center.

Learn about the center’s Gratitude in Action program.