Paralyzed Stray Black Kitten

nahui

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Hello everyone. I did not know where else to post this, so please remove it if I am in the wrong forum. It is a bit of a rant, but I also need advice. This past Thursday I came across a facebook posting about a black kitten who could not move its hind legs and the person who posted was asking for help getting treatment for the kitten. I called the number and we made an appointment to meet the following day at a vet I trust to check the kitten.

It turned out that it was a teenage girl whose mom had rescued the kitten from someone who was dragging the kitten tied to a bike with the intention of throwing the kitten against a car to get run over. Yes, that was the story they told me, as horrifying as it sounds.

It appears the kitten has spinal cord compression, most probably due to trauma. He is also ingested with fleas, cannot use his hind legs, does not control his sphincters... But is still very lively. He is eating well, grooms himself, and is a purring machine.
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I made a little video, but I can't figure out how to post it. Basically, from the waist up, he is a normal, adorable kitten, but from the waist down he has no control of his body. He has been staying in the vet hospital since Friday. He is progressing, but ever so slowly. He still can't stand, but his left hind leg is offering a bit more resistance when we try to move it, so that gives us hope.

Now, the agreement I had with the girl and her mother was that I would pay for the vet, but if and once he recovered, they would keep him. But guess what? they have not visited the kitten at all, nor are they picking up the phone when I call. I have called, left messages, sent text messages and tried to contact them any way I can, but nothing. So now it is very clear to me that they have dumped the kitten on me. That is ok, I did not want another cat, but I can manage. He deserves a chance. I am helping him, not the people who dumped him.

The only thing that really bothers me is why couldn't they just be honest about it and tell me they could not keep him.They swore up and down that they would be there everyday to visit and help any way they could, but nothing. Another reminder of why I prefer cats to people.

My husband says I should just let it go, focus on the kitten and either keep him ourselves or find him a good home, so this is what I have chosen to do. We visit him everyday, twice a day if we have the time and move his legs (we have some experience with physical therapy with dogs). So, in the end, what I wanted to ask was if anyone has any advice to share about how to best help the kitten.

Since we focused on the most pressing issues, he is still infested with fleas and is a bit smelly because some urine has surely stuck to his tail. Today we tried to clean him up as best as we could, but he still smells. He definitely needs a bath, he is also getting a little bit sore around his tail because of the poop and urine. I want to make him as comfortable as possible, but I also don't want to stress him unnecessarily.

The vet keeps him in a diaper. Is there a better way to avoid getting a diaper rash? I really have no idea. He has also not been dewormed.

Lastly, please send good vibes for this little guy. He does not deserve what has happened to him.
 

tabbytom

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Hello nahui nahui , thank you, thank you so much for saving this kitten! Bless your heart :clap: :rock:

Needless to say, we shall not talk about the little girl and her mummy.

He is such a cutie pie! :purr: :happycat::lovecat4: I’m glad you took him in and yes, he does not deserve what he’s getting but I’m sure he’s in very good and loving hands.

I hope he heals well and definitely he’ll be very attached to you as you nurse him back to health. Best is that you could keep him so that he does not have to make any adjustments if he is to be adopted.

As for the diaper’s rash, if it’s dry and he does not reach behind to lick the wound, guess it’s ok to leave it open to air. You can check with the vet on how soon he can off it too. But think it’s better to let those with more experience with this to give you a better answer.

Heal well my little friend
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:redheartpump::redheartpump::hearthrob::hearthrob: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug2: :grouphug2: :grouphug2: :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 

tinydestroyer

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I don't have any advice for the diaper rash, but I just wanted to say how happy I am that you found this little kitten. He's so lucky that you came into his life. I concur that he'll be extra attached to you after this ordeal, and he will love you unconditionally since you rescued him. But if you can't take in another cat, some adoptions through social media are successful (and not just dumping an animal on other people. Ugh.) Many shelters utilize it as a tool to find adopters.

Though I'm no social media guru, I know that by spreading word of his story and his progress you may have a larger pool to pick a decent adopter from (and you'll get to surreptitiously inspect their lifestyle beforehand to see if they'd be a good fit for this little guy.) Sebdubg all the best vibes to you and this kitten! :vibes::goodluck:
 

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Very kind of you to take care of this kitten. Why has he not been treated for fleas? He is probably too young for any topical flea treatment. What I use for young kittens is give the kit a wash in very warm water with a very mild, sent free soap. I use Johnson's Baby shampoo. Be sure to rinse the kitten to remove all of the soap and dead fleas. Then wrap him in a dry towel to keep him warm. The bath should take care of his oder. With his paralysis he will soil himself again. Are there baby wipes that you could use to clean him? Alcohol free would probably be best.
 
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nahui

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Thank you tabbytom tabbytom , tinydestroyer tinydestroyer , M maggiedemi , and A ArchyCat . I appreciate very much your kind words. Mostly, my concern is that his vet won't be available until Monday. The weekend vet is just continuing the treatment, but he cannot make any decisions, such as flea treatments. I'll go back today for a visit on Sunday and I will ask again. If not, definitely bring it up on Monday with his vet to get him clean and flea-free.

During the visit they leave the kitten with my husband and me in the visiting area of the hospital for as long as we want within visiting hours, since bathing him myself is out of the question because the bathroom sinks in the visiting area only have cold water, I was thinking I could try a dry bath, or at the very least clean him with warm baby wipes.

I will also be spreading the word and try to find him a good home. He definitely deserves it, but I am still waiting to see the extent of his recovery and if there are any remaining disabilities. In any case, my husband and I are trying to do our best to help him. At the very least, he will stay with us.

I feel so worried for this little guy and angry at whomever hurt him so badly. It is amazing how easily and how fast kittens can burrow into your heart! I just met this little one about two days ago and I'm already totally smitten.
 

tabbytom

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This kitten needs lots of tender loving care and the person who looks after him must be totally devoted to him.

Anyone that cannot invest their time in him should not adopt him. Else the poor kitty will be dumped around houses and that will stress him out tremendously. If you can, please keep him. He needs people with hearts like yours and there are not many out there that is willing to commit to it.

As for fleas, you can check with the vet if they do flea baths.

I do hope you keep him :petcat:
 

msaimee

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Frontline states in its directions that it can be used on kittens 8 weeks of age. Is your kitten younger? I'm curious about why the kitten is wearing a diaper? Couldn't he just poop in his cage and the cage be cleaned? There must be something the vet can prescribe for the rash. I hope the poor little guy is getting some kind of pain meds. What a distressing story. I wish the person who tied the kitten to the bike and dragged it could be found and prosecuted.

It's awful that the teenager didn't return your calls and inform you that she couldn't take the kitten, but thank God she brought the kitten's situation to the attention of others so the kitten could get help. Otherwise the kitten might have been dragged to death. Even though she dumped the kitten on you, she played a role in rescuing it.

I've had a few special needs cats, including a diabetic cat who needed daily insulin shots. It's very difficult to find pet caregivers willing to invest the time, patience, and money into caring for a special needs pet. I hope you will be able to keep the kitten. If not, I hope you can find someone who will be able to care for him properly.

I am grateful for people like you who take on such large responsibilities in caring for these helpless little creatures of God. I will pray for your kitten, and that God will bless you and guide you as you care for him.
 

Norachan

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Poor little guy! I'm so glad that someone rescued him, even if they've disappeared now. At least he has you.

He looks plenty big enough to be treated for fleas with Frontline, I suggest you ask your vet for a dose of that.

Vaseline helps to prevent nappy rash. Has he had a sanitary shave? It will make him much easier to clean if you're just dealing with skin rather than fur.

You can get special pet wipes to clean him with.

Thank you so much for taking care of him. I can understand why you're smitten already.
 
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nahui

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msaimee msaimee , unfortunately, the person who dragged him is most likely homeless, thus very difficult to find. The area where the kitten was found is right on the outskirts of the city, an impoverished area with lots of transient people, so I doubt it that this person could be found. Also, although there is an animal cruelty law, it is almost never applied. I've talked to some local rescue groups and they all told me that they are still waiting to hear about cruelty reports over two years ago.

The kitten is getting medication and both my husband and I are taking care of him. We will not try to find him a home until, and if, he recovers, but we have no problem keeping him. It is just that we would rather find him a home because adding another cat reduces our capacity to keep helping others, but seeing how attached we are getting to him, I think he will stay.

Norachan Norachan , Thank you!!! I had not thought about asking for a sanitary shave. I will bring it up with the vet, to give the kitten a flea bath and a sanitary shave. I think the kitten would be much more comfortable without a diaper.

I am starting a job in another, bigger city in a week. My husband will stay behind to care for our cats and dogs while I get settled and find a suitable place for all of us, but I was thinking about taking the kitten with me to take him to a larger, better equipped vet hospital. I am having some hesitations about the level of care he is getting here. It is good, but not as good as he could get.

We actually took one of our dogs to this other hospital to be treated for something very similar to this and she recovered very quickly and their level of care was just superb. My concern is that it is quite a long trip, about 7 or 8 hours, but he would be getting access to more resources, such as physical therapists, neurologists, and the like. What do you think?
 

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I think switching vet hospitals is a good idea.

You may be able to take the kitten home soon where you can take even better care of him. You can bathe him and use diaper ointment for rash as long as the kitten can't lick it. You could give more massage as well.

Where do you live?

What medications is the kitten receiving?

Thank you for your kindness!
 
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nahui

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Well, some new developments. I went today to visit the kitten. Turns out it is not a he, but a she. I took her diaper off and cleaned her up with baby wipes and helped her stand up and move her legs on a puppy training pad. I asked the Sunday vet to leave her without a diaper, she seems more comfortable without the diaper. I am meeting with her vet tomorrow morning and ask for her medical records to take her to the other hospital. I see progress, but marginally, so I want to give her a better chance at recovery.

I will also be calling Monday morning to the other hospital to make an appointment, most likely for Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon at the latest, meanwhile I'll keep her with her current vet because they are giving her medication through an I.V. and I guess that is better than bringing her home.

Also, the people who originally rescued her finally called! Turns out that they were out of town and without a cellphone. I'll meet with them tomorrow as well, but they also agreed to let me take her to the other vet. They want to keep her if she recovers, but I also asked them to let me keep her until, and if, she is fully recovered.

Today my husband and I stayed with her until she was fed up with us massaging her and moving her legs. She started getting sleepy and meowing, wanting to be left alone, so I hope she went right to sleep. The video is from right before we left.
 
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nahui

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What medications is she receiving?
The vet has not told me specifically. I know is that she is being treated with prednisone. She was also given some antibiotics, gabapentin, and possibly other drugs. I haven't seen the vet since Friday, and the weekend vets only follow the treatment, but do not make any decisions. Tomorrow morning I will go back and ask for her medical records.

I think the vet is annoyed with me. He actually was there on Saturday morning, but left as soon as he saw me coming in. I know I can come across as pushy, and while I do not intend to tell him what to do, I think I have a right to ask and know what is going on. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
 

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I didn't read all the replies to see what was suggested but I do have several solutions for your rash problem. It is all cat dependant so keep that in mind too as I have 2 (about to be 3) diaper babies.

First off I commend u for wanting to help and offering to take the little guy in. Odds are likely he will never be different but hopefully he can still live a wonderful life with u.

Ok, so routine is everything here and the more u do it the less terrible it seems. I would tell your vet to give him a cortisone shot and add b12 to it for the diaper rash first (idk y but it does help, and most vets do not know). Then if he is a kitten I suggest bladder expression even if it comes out on it's own as the less that is there the less urine burn. The vet will help teach u if u ask, if not I can explain the best I know how. Now is the part of trial and error, that what works for him. I like fancy pants for pets, and they are hand made for u. They are a reusable diaper. I have Manx so no tails but with i would say those. U can also try disposables but they may be to big. Try and just rinse and blot dry as less wiping the better. Now on to the creams and remedies:
Bag balm (worked wonders for bob and all he uses)
Neosporin that does NOT contain zinc (there are different kinds and cats can be very sensitive to it)
Diaper rash cream (be sure never to let them lick it)
A soak in Epsom salt (I also use an Epsom gel from tractor supply, put it in the diaper and change when needed next)
Try putting some baking soda in the diaper either with something else, or by itself even
Open air is great, unless u have a dragging already tender butt, then I would keep something on
Vasaline can be used as well
Wash with no soap, or I find a sensitive skin hypoallergenic non scented feminine wash works best

I hope some of this helps, and if u need more help just ask.
 

msaimee

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Have you named the kitten yet? I, too, can be very pushy with vets when it comes to taking care of my cats. They are like my children.

Your cat may very well be a special needs cat all her life, with a limp and possible arthritis later on. If this is the case, she should ideally be in a home either with no other cats, or with cats who are elderly or gentle natured. If not, special care will be needed to protect her. One of my five cats is a special needs cat. When she was a kitten outside, someone shot her. The bullet broke her leg and is lodged in her hip to this day. Her leg healed, but it is a bit crooked and she has a funny gait and can't jump very high. My three young and rambunctious cats mostly leave her alone, but if she tries to venture downstairs, they chase her back upstairs and bully her a bit. It's not an ideal situation for her, but I am the best caregiver for her and trying to find a better home for her is not an option. Integrating a special needs cat into a home with other cats can be done, but it takes special care and attention.

Thanks for the update--continue to keep us posted. Cats are so beautiful. They can endure so much pain and suffer cruelty at the hands of humans, and yet still be able to be loving and trusting.
 

krisrath11

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I half agree with the above statement as the special needs may need to be watched a bit more at first. I find if they are young they don't know, and the rescue I foster for has several who have no use of their rear end and drag them and they are put in no different than the rest just as are the blind or tripods ect. If u are ok with it then typically it can work as long as u realize that a kitty like this if it doesn't regain function will need care like this for the duration of 20 years and it can be costly at times, and it doesn't stop no matter what. I have 2 Manx syndrome, 1 I adopted, 1 was born to a foster in my lap. I wouldn't trade them for the world but bob was the first and it was stressful as I learned, and costly until I found the right vets ECT. I am in no way trying to deter u from keeping him as I would if I were u, but I believe u should fully feel the situation. Just bcz u r sick doesn' mean u r off that day, and if u go places for extended periods u have to either take him, or find a sitter which can be expensive (not to mention the worry). On the other hand if u do take a diaper baby there is no need for a litter box! I take mine to the pet places, tractor supply, and family houses bcz they don't need all that so they can be super fun. It is also very very fun to watch how amazing they are as they learn things and don' know they are different. I hope u decide to keep him, if not send him my way lol!
By the way he is adorable! Are u holding him up in the video or is he holding some weight?
 

kittychick

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First of all (and I apologize if I missed anything in my read-through of this thread - so if I say anything that's been said/answered - - I apologize -- - trying to get 5 things done at once - the joy of working from home!) kudos to you for taking over the care of this little guy - both mentally and physically! Caring for an animal with major medical issues is tough - - we periodically foster some with tough medical issues, and it's hard - - -you definitely get more attached even then normal (which I never thought was possible!) since you invest so much time and heart, which means more bonding :itslove: And he is absolutely ADORABLE and so tolerant despite how rotten he must feel. I know cats hide pain amazingly well - and will even purr through pain - - -but he does seem like a sweetie - and a fighter!

I'm glad you can/are willing to take the time, effort and emotional involvement to help this poor baby heal. But it sounds like you do realize caring for and helping a kitty such as this one IS a lot of work - and at this point you don't even know what long-term issues he may have. I realize that if you can't give him a forever home, his initial rescuers may be an option (and I'm sure you've thought of what I'm about to say) but I'd definitely be a little cautious handing him to them without a little digging. His initial rescuers sound like they had their reasons for not checking in (I'm sure they're nice people) and I hate to judge since you never know what's going on in someone's life, but I would have gone through hell and high water to find a phone to find out how he was doing since it was (and is) SO serious! Even if they didn't have a phone - just about everyone on the planet does. Surely they could have briefly borrowed one from someone. I know - that sounds judgy and I don't mean to - - but I know I'd have been crazy with worry and found a way to call. But as my husband says "honey - everyone's not you" - and that doesn't mean they don't care.

krisrath11 krisrath11 sounds like she could be an enormous help to you, emotionally and info-wise. I hope you'll feel comfortable contacting her for support and suggestions. It sounds as though your little guy is having quite the issue with his diaper. I've never dealt with needing to use a cat diaper (except at one shelter where I volunteered for ages ago). It's definitely not the easiest path - for caregiver or cat - but sometimes does appear to be the best solution.

As far as switching vets - - go where you're comfortable. You're paying for him and have come forward as caretaker - so you deserve answers. I always come in w/a pad of paper w/questions written out (I'm afraid I'll forget to ask something - plus I want to make sure I write their answers as vets usually go a mile a minute), and (for me at least) it takes time for me to comprehend. I often feel like when I come in our vets play "rock, paper, scissors" to see who has to deal with us. :)

Some type of bathing - particularly with the diaper - is critical. He'll feel better if he's clean - but it also serves the critical function of keeping him from getting urine scald. Someone else may have said this already -- but when we have a kitty we can't fully bathe - we use Petkin Bamboo Eco Pet Wipes. We warm them VERY, VERY slightly (some people use diaper wipe warmers). We like them because they're very gentle and can even be used on kittens, and near eyes, ears, etc. Plus they don't remove spot flea treatments, and they're non-toxic with no alcohol, and I like that they're made with organically grown bamboo. Plus the smell isn't overwhelming, as some wipes are.

Don't know if you've heard of "The Kitten Lady" -- she's a bit of an internet sensation. She actually has a kitten, "Chloe," that she works on as you do ---and she has posted a lot of what she does with Chloe. So her page(s) on Chloe might be a little helpful - plus lots of adorable shots and videos of Chloe!
Chloe

These links are geared more toward dogs that are paralyzed and/or incontinent - but a large number of the tips apply to cats/kittens too. Interesting sources of info!
Care of the Paralyzed Animal - Mar Vista Animal Medical Center

Tips To Keep An Incontinent Dog Dry and Treat Urine Scald

Keep us posted as to how this little fighter is doing! Send more pics, etc. - - - we love updates!
 

sabian

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I think you've got it covered as far as advice goes and this is out of my league to be honest. I'm sure I can learn from it! But, I just want to say how great I think it is what your doing. I can't praise you enough for taking care of this little girl. I swear if I would have seen whoever done this, doing it, I may be in jail for dragging them around so they could see how it felt. I'll be praying for this little girl and following this thread. Thanks for just being awesome!
 
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