Neglected Timaru kitten recovers from double loss
A Timaru kitten that scratched out its infected eye is recovering well after surgery to stitch up the socket.
Her sibling, born a day after Street Cats South Canterbury foster mother Jennifer Duggan rescued five cats from a neglectful owner, did not have the same success and died two weeks later.
‘‘I wasn’t happy about it but I’m kind of used to it,’’ Duggan said.
‘‘When you have hundred of kittens there’s bound to be stuff that happens.’’
Duggan said the kitten’s body was freezing when she discovered it in the morning, the mother having not looked after it properly during the night.
‘‘Kittens are really fragile.’’
Street Cats programme director Karen Sole said the one-eyed kitten, Poppy - which has been neutered, vaccinated, and had a microchip inserted - could be ready to find her forever home as early as next week.
‘‘She goes back next week to have the stitches taken out, then she may be available for adoption,’’ Sole said.
A kitten the group picked up last year had the same surgery as Poppy, said Sole, but did not eat for a week afterwards and lost a lot of weight.
‘‘Sometimes they can have a wee setback but Poppy’s coping really well.
‘‘We made sure her condition was really good.’’
Poppy suddenly gained weight a few days before the operation, making her healthy enough to undergo the procedure, Sole said.
Duggan said while Poppy had bounced back from the surgery, the scariest stage in her recovery was when she was dewormed. ‘‘She was dropping weight. ‘‘We had to worm her again and her weight came back.’’
Duggan has seen kittens die after getting worm treatment if they are overrun with the parasites, as Poppy was.
About $450 from five people had been donated to Street Cats to support Poppy.
Sole will not know the complete bill until the stitches come out.