A few weeks ago, Stephanie Medrano, a parent fosterer for Stray Cat Alliance, was informed about an unusual kitten that was born just a few hours prior. The newborn kitten, unfortunately, was born with a cleft palate and twisted hind legs as he was brought to the vet by his previous owners who were very concerned about his health. Upon closer inspection, the vet suggested euthanasia, as apparently, the little guy had a very slim chance of surviving given the obstacles he was born with.
The previous owners didn’t know how to properly care for a kitten with such conditions, especially after receiving a thorough diagnosis on his health. Nevertheless, they still wanted to help him, as the newborn kitten showed a strong will to live and seemed very eager to eat. That’s when Stephanie was contacted and learned about the little guy’s situation.
Medrano was immediately up for the job as the owners were able to surrender the kitten through a mutual friend, and Stray Cat Alliance (an organization that Stephanie volunteers for) agreed to support the decision as well.
Given the chance, Bored Panda reached out to Stephanie to find out a little bit more about the whole situation.
More info: Instagram | straycatalliance.org
Upon taking the kitten, Stephanie noticed another thing about the little guy’s appearance: the kitten had a face reminiscent of an old person. Therefore, she made a quick decision to call him ‘Grandpa’
Image credits: grandpa.the.kitten
“Grandpa was born on 3/20/21. When the owners discovered that his legs were twisted, they decided to take him to a vet who then discovered he had a cleft palate,” Stephanie told Bored Panda
Image credits: imogenthekitten
“The vets suggested euthanasia because of his slim chance of survival”
“Secondly, with his twisted legs, Grandpa is less likely to maneuver around on his own to find his mom’s nipple”
“He needs to be tube-fed, which means a feeding tube, because he will aspirate if fed with a bottle and his twisted legs need to be massaged every couple of hours”
Image credits: imogenthekitten
“The twisted leg syndrome is from his tendons being short, which pulls his legs backward. Stretching his legs will help elongate the tendon and as he grows, hopefully, his legs will start to adjust on their own.”
These days, however, Grandpa still spends a lot of his time napping or just eating regularly every few hours with massages and belly rubs in between. And although, Grandpa had a slim chance of survival the dedication and the effort both Stephanie and the little guy put in for the last few weeks seemed to be paying off.
“He will require a cleft palate surgery or multiple, depending on his future needs, and leg splints if his legs need more help later on”
Image credits: grandpa.the.kitten
Recently, two days ago, actually, he finally opened his eyes for the first time ever! And funnily enough, the kitten lives up to his name as he just looks ‘so over it’
Image credits: grandpa.the.kitten
