SAFE Haven for Cats saves EVERY cat we can, regardless of what care it takes to get them ready to thrive again. When we found a tiny kitten who needed life-saving surgery we didn’t turn him away. We gave him the care he needed to live his best life.
Tiny bobtailed Bing was rescued along with his mom and four siblings from the Wilson County Shelter in March. Their shelter was full, and they didn’t have any more room to take in cats, so SAFE Haven agreed to take the whole family. After a quick medical examination, they were off to their new foster home where they would stay until they were old enough to adopt.
Once the family was settled in their new home, the foster parent noticed something felt different with one of the kittens when she picked him up. After a medical exam with Medical Director Dr. Jennifer she determined he had pectus excavatum, a deformity that occurs in the chest bone. If left untreated, this condition can be life-threatening to a cat and would significantly shorten their lifespan.
All of Bing’s siblings went on to get spayed/neutered and adopted. Bing, however, had to wait longer so he would be big enough for surgery. In the meantime, he went back to foster and got to play with several older cats in the house. His favorite toy? Their tails, of course! Since he doesn’t have one, he found their tails just fascinating.
The severity of pectus excavatum varies but typically makes it difficult for the kitty to breathe, exercise, and even eat. In Bing’s case, it was severe enough to require surgery to save his life. Most shelters and pet owners could never afford to pay for this type of surgery. It often costs thousands of dollars to do the surgery and aftercare. But at SAFE Haven, we know cats deserve more.
On June 27, he underwent surgery and was given a splint to expand his rib cage overtime. He will have at least four follow-up visits to further adjust the splint to bring his rib cage back to a normal shape. Once the splint is removed, Bing will go on to live a normal life and will be ready for adoption!
Bing has been doing very well with his treatments and his happy personality continues to shine through! We know he will make a family very happy someday soon.
The procedures and extra care to save cats lives are very costly, but SAFE Haven believes all cats deserve a chance at a happy and healthy life. Bing’s surgery and care will total $3,000. We’re raising the funds to cover Bing’s care by July 31. Won’t you help fund Bing’s surgery?
