Does anyone have a disabled or 'special needs' kitty?

Question

I have 4 kittens (6 months old) from a feral (wild, can't domesticate cat) that was puny and sickly. She lived underneath the house. One night when the door was left open so my cats could go in an out and I was asleep, she had kittens and brought them all inside under my bed! She had 5 (one died. It had 7 toes!). I didn't think they would live because she was SO scrawny. Well, they did...except one is blind totally (I have to have toys with bells in them so she can hear where they are), one has 1 eye, 1 has herpes of the eye and is slowing losing her sight....but she still can see fairly decent, and one has a foot on backwards (one hind foot faces forward and one faces backwards and 6 toes on all 4 feet, she walks on 3 legs and one knee). They are all happy and have SO much heart.
Anyone else have cats that others would have put down but you saved and gave them love and a chance?

Answer 1

YES, YES, YES!!!!

My heart breaks especially to read about the backwards leg kitty, but know this: he is in no pain, that is just the way he is built, and he will most likely have a very happy wonderful life.

And speaking from experience, these kitties are just the sweetest, most loving angels you will ever know.

I have a special needs kitty named Precious Ray of Sunshine. He is an orange tabby with big gold eyes who adores the ground I walk on. He has a condition called megacolon, which means basically that he can't push it out on his own because he has a damaged colon. I am trying to save up money for an operation that will remove his colon and re-attach his anus to his small intestine...it is an operation that my vet says will be a success and he will have diarrhea for the rest of his life, but he will be able to control his movements.

I told Precious that I would keep him for the rest of his life (he was one of my rescues, from the Paramount Movie Studios lot about two years ago); and I told him that I would gladly clean up all his little poops all over my house for the rest of his furry little life because I knewe that probably no one else ever would, and he is a most welcome addition to my house for the rest of his life.

Every day when I come home, he is standing on the kitchen counter right next to my apartment door, MIAOWING as loudly as he can because he is so glad I am home, and he literally launches himself into my arms and presses his furry little body as close to my face as possible. He just wants to be in my arms all the time, nuzzling me and giving me love, love, love.

I don't think I could bear to part with him now, and I don't care if he "poos" all over the place, he is just so dear to me.

I just get out the Lysol and clean it all up and he rides around on my shoulder as I do so, talking in my ear the whole time.

Sometimes he has what I call a "poo poo explosion," he just can't help it, and tries to bury it over and over, looking at me with his big gold eyes all sad and worried that I will be mad, but I just tell him "I've got you covered, Sunshine, don't you worry," and I get out the steamcleaner and it's all clean in just five minutes.

I don't know where you live, but if you are close to Los Angeles, I would gladly take your special needs kitties, and I know plenty of "special needs" children who would love to have kitties like yours!

Answer 2

Wow you have quite the family there. I hope they all survive. A friend of ours had a kitten named "Miss Mittens". We thought this cat was special because it had to wear a crash helmet. For some reason, it would walk and run into walls, and was known to knock itself out many times. It had some type of brain damage where it didn't have depth perception at all. So the vet provided a little strap on crash helmet for it like you see the "special needs" kids wearing sometimes.

Answer 3

Many years ago we had a kitten that had been born with ataxia, essentially a balance issue from birth complications, not unlike cerebral palsy in humans. He walked jerkily, and generally diagonally and had poor control over his neck movements. But the vet assured us his condition was stable, and he was not suffering in any way, so we loved him until his death from natural causes. I think we get fonder of our special pets than we do of our able ones. If they are not in pain, they can have a good life with a little extra TLC.

Answer 4

Man, do you live near a nuclear reactor? This sounds like a 50s horror flick. You're a special person to take care of these animals. I had a cat with diabetes that got two insulin shots a day for years and I thought that was special. You're a winner, babe.

Answer 5

I rescued a feral cat that was found behind a dumster...he's not s special needs, but i'm glad there are people like you that will be so caring.

Answer 6

I have had Puppies born the same way...but none survived..I would ask a vet about what you need to do...B/c I am not sure.I hope the kittens will be OK though!!