A woman called us in January 2023 about a cat who had had a litter of four kittens on her front porch. The kittens were 3 months old at the time, and the woman said that one of them was “paralyzed.” As soon as the kittens arrived, it was obvious that the “disabled” kitten was not paralyzed, but her hind legs splayed out to the sides and wouldn’t hold her weight. She was such a sweet baby, we decided to name her “Jewel.” Her three siblings had all developed normally and they quickly found homes once we got them all vaccinated and spayed/neutered.
At first, we thought that Jewel had something called “swimmer’s syndrome,” which is sometimes treatable by splinting the legs together; but x-rays showed that she was born with hip dysplasia, where the hip joint does not develop normally, causing the ball and socket to be misaligned. In order to correct this condition, we were referred to an orthopedic surgeon at Cornell, where a CT scan showed an additional problem: she also had a bifurcated (split) spinal cord (i.e. spina bifida), which is fairly rare in cats. We were told that the surgery to correct the dip dysplasia would never allow her to walk “normally,” but it would rid her of any bone-on-bone pain she might be feeling from having the femur not properly attached to her hips. We were also told that nothing could be done about the split spinal cord and that she would remain incontinent for the rest of her life. Still, she is so sweet and full of life and joy that we resolved to do everything we could for her.
Jewel had her hip dysplasia surgery in August, 2023, and she hasn’t looked back! She climbs on cat trees, gets up to nap on the couch, runs and plays. She can even go upstairs! And she’s such a delightful, happy little thing, always purring. And she is so smart – she learns new things right away! She is on a special diet and medication for megacolon, which is a result of her spinal problems, but she knows where she has to eat and even comes for her medication (and the treats that follow!) When she walks around, her little tail is in the air. In fact, it’s pointed forward, indicating a happy and outgoing nature. She loves everybody and will greet any stranger, asking for petting and attention.
Plans for her adoption are far in the future. Many people are willing to take disabled cats, but with her bowel and bladder control unreliable, few people would want her. Though people tend to fall in love with her at first sight, the idea of having to clean up after her makes it impossible for most people to adopt her. We cope quite well with easy-to-clean surfaces such as washable area rugs and vinyl and hardwood floors and waterproof, washable furniture covers and we always keep a Swiffer Wet Jet and lots of disposable pads handy! We feel that she is well worth the effort!
While we don’t require additional funds to support Jewel, if you want to donate directly to her care, please put a note on your check or credit card donation that simply says “Jewel.”