kitten update

So my boyfriend's little adoptee went from this:

 To this!

So big and handsome! And energetic!

He's added on a few more ounces since rehoming, weighing at just under 3 lbs as of his vet visit last week. He seems to have grown so much, he's like a long wiggly noodle now. His new mom (my studio partner's cousin) has given him a wonderful new home. We miss him like crazy, but I'm happy to see him so content.

According to the latest tests, he's Feline Leukemia & Feline HIV negative. Which, while we hoped for the best, surprised everyone. Yay!

Sadly, the Vet suspects he might have FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) which is fatal and almost completely untreatable. It's going to be a tough few months... The Vet has warned us all that FIP strikes fast, though if he survives past ~6 months the prognosis might be more positive. Apparently feral kittens who inherit/are born with FIP don't usually survive kitten hood, though if they do they can fall victim to it suddenly and swiftly. They just get sluggish and tired and then... 

So, we're hoping he's somehow avoided that guillotine. Unfortunately there is no definitive test for whether a cat is positive or negative for FIP, so we won't know for sure.

He's catching up on all his vaccinations, which have been spaced out and given individually instead of by booster because the vet thinks he's still quite frail and weak. He still may have Feline Herpes, since he's got an infrequent sneeze, which means more lifelong meds. We've been advised to take him for a consultation at a veterinary ophthalmologist as soon as we can all afford it... His 'good' eye may be something an operation can improve (removing the film of scar tissue), and his 'bad' eye may still have to be removed. So far 2 different vets have given two different opinions on removing the eye... 

Of course I'd love for him to not have to go through that trauma, but if it would make him more comfortable, or decrease likelihood of future injuries or infections, I'll gladly pay that bill. We've been very lucky, in that the Kitten's new Mom is helping us with his bills. I just hope that sooner rather than later we can catsit and be 'auntie and uncle' to a healthy & happy cat.

Oh, and he's got a name! Meet Stevie!

kitten rescue

Not a lot of new adventures to blog about/report, as my partner has gotten a new roommate! Things have gotten quite busy as a result!

This lucky kitten was rescued from an appliance store Sept 7th, where the employees had found him under a car and were going to leave him in a box to be 'picked up later' by the SPCA. On a day of +100F heat. Of course we couldn't leave him.
His eyes were so swollen and incrusted with pus and infection, he was so emaciated his bones were sharp through his skin and he was crawling with fleas.

We immediately rushed him to the closest Vet, where his eyes were drained (which was so horrible), he was given subcutaneous fluids for the extreme dehydration, and we got an expensive bag full of goodies to try and nurse him back to health.

The last week has been full of anxiety and short on sleep. His eyes need to be swabbed and cleaned every few hours, with medicated drops instilled. He's on oral antibiotics, which apparently taste awful because he sure does fight against every mouthful. He's (thankfully!) quite litter-trained, so while it's a bit of a fight to get him to eat enough, his body is starting to work like it should.

rescue kitten, a set on Flickr.

A few days ago we took him for a 2nd checkup after his eyes appeared to be getting worse. It wasn't all bad news, though... He had gained weight, going from 0.6lbs to 1.2lbs, we had gotten rid of the fleas without any medications that would hurt his little body, and the ulcers from malnourishment on his tongue had healed.
His eyes, however, are still infected. The antibiotics have cleared up the initial infection... but now it seems he's got either the herpes virus or Calici's virus which is causing ocular trauma and inflammation.

It's been a tough journey for this little fellow. Even with a week of meds, he's still almost completely blind.

There's a chance he might be able to see again, someday, but we're not there yet. Despite everything, he is, without a doubt, the most sweetly affectionate little kitten. He's trusting and sweet, calling out in his squeaky little mew if he's left alone too long. All he wants is to be close to a heartbeat and cuddle up to a warm body. And chow down on mushy gushy kitten food.

The biggest battle left to fight is to find him a loving permanent home. We can't keep him, though I've fallen utterly in love with his tender little personality. Finding a forever home for a potentially handicapped kitten, even one as cute as he is, isn't proving an easy task.