FAEDRA THE MIRACLE KITTEN
On December 20th, 2020, taking a walk along the streets of Baja, my friend's dog, Jamie the lab, gently picked something up in his mouth. On quick inspection we discovered this tiny kitten, barely alive and struggling. Nearby, the cold tiny body of a littermate was found. And so our Journey to Save Faedra began. Faedra is a special needs girl with one of the most severe cases of scoliosis a vet has ever seen. She is receiving incredible care and is one amazing little fighter. Faedra will be arriving in Ottawa Canada in the Spring and will be available for adoption.
The search for her amazing forever family is on.
Faedra's profile:
AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION
Special Needs: Needs an attentive cat parent who can give her daily care with a set routine.
Faedra was rescued as a 4-week old kitten. X-rays revealed that a curved spine at birth has impaired the impulses down her spine, making walking on her own difficult. She loves walking if you use a harness with her that supports her back legs, and she is learning to use “training wheels” to play for a couple of hours a day.
She holds her bladder and feces, however needs to be expressed 3 times daily. ( I will teach the adopter how to do this )
She has a most peaceful disposition, preferring to be close to her human in a calm environment. She loves to have her head and cheeks rubbed and purrs when feeling cozy.
She will do best in a house with adults and perhaps very calm, cuddly adult cats. She does not like dogs.
Faedra is not chatty but will call your attention when she needs to.
gender: female
Age: kitten born early December
Color: grey and tan tabby
Hair length: medium
Current size: small
Special needs: yes
ok with cats: unknown
ok with kids: no
ok with dogs: no
ADOPTION APPLICATION
The Faedra Diaries
Sunday December 20, 2020 12 pm Another covid walk… Jamie the lab picks something up in his mouth. We immediately tell him to release, fearing it is a rat. Instead I see it is a cat. A wee kitten, smaller than my hand, now feebly mewing in the dirt. I rush over, and I notice a second kitten, extended, immobile. I touch it, and it is cold. I know it will not be long for this little one, she is mewing with no sound, barely moving, I gently pick her up. It is my wish that all things are greeted by tender hands when they are born and held equally as tenderly when they die. Time to go back, to sit, to wait. 1 p.m. We have given the little one some water as I hold her wrapped in warm blankets. She is so weak now. Friends have heard that we found her and someone brings water in which a piece of chicken was boiled. When i hold it to her mouth she immediately takes it and wants more. It is Sunday, can we find a vet?
1:30 I have examined her and she is the sweetest grey and apricot baby with the blues eyes and the pinkest of noses. She is listless however and doesn’t move much, especially her legs.
2 p.m. We find a vet that is open and willing to see her. We rush over. She is so tiny and precious already. Now I am whispering, hang on little one. Just hang on.
4 p.m. Left the sweet one there. The vet is not hopeful. It is truly one hour at a time. She is hypothermic, dehydrated and starving. She is listless and can barely move her arms and legs. She is also very very clean which means she is not feral, she knows humans and was left in the desert to fend for herself. All I can do is wait.
Monday December 21 10 a.m. still waiting. no word. no news is good news?
12 p.m. vet called. She is unable to regulate her body temperature, it keeps dropping dangerously low. But she has survived the night. I’m going to visit her.
4 p.m. Oh she is so sweet this little thing. She immediately comes to cuddle, she looks me straight in the eye. She’s not giving up. If she can be strong enough to make it one more night.
Tuesday December 22 3 p.m. Vet called. She made it through the second night. Still weak but showing positive signs. The vet is concerned however, she is not regaining strength in her legs. Could the dog have inadvertently damaged her spine when he picked her up? They are going to keep her one more night and then bring her for X-rays.
Wed December 23 xray day. Nothing is broken, there may be some soft tissue damage, which cannot be seen, so so is starting on pain killers and anti-inflammatories and ….SHE IS COMING HOME WITH ME TOMORROW!
Thursday December 24 We are keeping her warm with water bottles and keeping her close. We’ve got little exercises to help develop the strength in her back legs. She is the most cuddly little thing. I carry her around in a large shopping bag that I have made into a mobile bed. Cute little thing still does not make noise when she meows. I can’t believe how small she is. 150 grams. not all of her teeth, we figure she is 4 weeks old.
Friday December 25th The best present of all…today, for the first day ever we saw a little flicker in her tail as she was purring. There is hope!
December 28th How she loves to have her face caressed. Just sends her into her little heaven and she starts to purr. She is only getting up twice at night now. I have her bed close to mine because she doesn’t meow so how do I hear if she wakes up and wants food?
December 31 Finally a name. I wanted to give her something mighty and something magical. Faedra - daughter of the fairies. Seems right to me and a good way to start the new year with a new name. January 2 Hanging out these days by the pool. We’ve started to make paths with yoga mats so that we can find ways to strengthen her legs. we encourage her to find a way to move them. Slowly we see her wanting to move, to play. January 5 some people are thinking we should not have saved her. But I know by the way she is playing and cuddling that she will have a good quality of life. And anyway, what was I supposed to do? leave her there? I’m not giving up on her.
January 7 she has started to pull herself along! she is using mostly her front paws, but she is able to cross the floor to come and find me. Sweet thing thinks that being cuddled is the best reward!
January 9 We started a new game yesterday - she tucks her ears back and hides her head in the blanket. Then today the hiding in her blanket has increased. She is refusing to come out and play and just wants to hide. I think something is wrong.
back from the vet - bladder infection. As she is not yet moving around a lot and doesn’t fully empty her bladder on her own, there has been a bacteria build up. She needs 3 shots of antibiotics and some other meds daily for the next week. Oh I am so sorry sweet one, I had no idea!
January 11 Faedra feeling better. She takes her medicine easily and now is as playful and cuddly as ever. I’m playing a soundtrack of kittens purring to ease her discomfort. I am also learning to express her bladder, which turns out to be a lot easier than I thought! It simply requires that I feel for the “balloon shape” and squeeze it firmly but gently - kind of like mixing a cow! haha!
January 15 woo hoo, we are starting to walk with a harness. we are using a little covid mask and if I support her hind legs, she knows to move them in a walking motion. she can’t bear her own weight yet, but this is so promising. so we are adding walking to the physical therapy exercises.
January 18 a stressful day. I am deeply in love with this little one, but I know I cannot keep her. I have two Egyptian Maus who are very territorial and little Faedra would not be welcome. And in normal times I am on the road for at least a few weeks a month. I know my mission is to find her a forever home.
January 25 She scared the daylights out of me. I came out of the bathroom and could not find her anywhere. How can a cat that doesn’t walk disappear? I found her fast asleep- she had scampered up the pillow to sit in the sunshine!
February 2 We’ve come to the vet in Cabo to better understand her prognosis. The xrays caused quite a stir - they’ve called everyone in. Apparently they have never seen a scan with a spin that makes a perfect “s” shape. it makes her survival and her spunk all the more remarkable. Vet agreed that she is healthy despite the spine curvatures. The question that we are wrestling with is whether her rib cage will continue to grow to accommodate her organs - but there is no reason to believe otherwise. Good news is that because she can eat and eliminate and move voluntarily, she will have a great quality of life, despite her challenge.
February 18 Her roller skates arrived today!! it is rather strange looking contraption, but I am very excited at the possibility of her finding a new way to move around. Now we begin the slow process of having her learn how to move around in it.
March 10 First real success with her new wheels!!! Proud foster Mama!!!