Joey may have had a rough start in life, but thanks to friends like you his luck has made a dramatic reversal for the better.
Joey came into our program as a 12 week old kitten who needed surgery to remove his front left leg, which was not only causing him considerable pain, but was also getting in the way of his mobility. We brought Joey to an orthopedic specialist who explained after examining him that his left front leg had extensive nerve damage and unfortunately could never be rehabilitated. Removing his leg would give him the best chance at living a full life where he can run, walk, and play without pain or discomfort, as cats recover rapidly and quickly learn how to adapt to life on three legs.
Joey's prognosis was good. From unfortunate experience, we knew that Joey healed well from surgery. This would be Joey's second operation in the short time he'd been with us.
Surgery #1: Remove vinyl glove lodged in stomach. When our volunteers rescued Joey, he had been dodging traffic in Danbury. Looking at his injured leg, we thought that he may have been hit by a car. But x-rays showed no broken bones or fractures. Joey did not have any cuts or open wounds nor did he present any signs of distress other than hunger.
What Joey's doctor did find on the x-rays, however, was a large foreign mass in his stomach. Surgery was performed to find out what was lodged in his belly and we discovered that Joey had ingested a large vinyl glove, like those used by kitchen staff in fast-food restaurants. As best we can determine, food was probably caked on the discarded glove, and Joey, as hungry as he was, swallowed everything (see pictures on right).
A week after Joey's first surgery and he was doing great, eating like a champ and loving all the attention he's been getting. What was so remarkable about Joey wasn't just that the glove did not kill him or that he managed to survive traffic with a lame leg that made every step a struggle—it's that despite the bad breaks this kitten has had in the brief time he's been on this earth, he didn't let it get him down. Joey was one of the happiest, most loving and affectionate cats we'd ever meet.
Surgery #2: Remove crippled leg. The surgery to remove Joey's lame leg was a success. Just as his doctors anticipated, Joey made a rapid recovery and learned almost immediately to adapt to life on three legs. And a few short weeks later, Joey's doctors told us that he was ready for adoption.
And it just so happened that Joey had someone very special in Tierra Verde, FL waiting to welcome him into her life.
Karyn L. had learned about Joey from her sister in Newtown, Krista, who had previously adopted from The Animal Center and who volunteered with us. "When I read about Joey, his story broke my heart and I knew that this kitten belonged here with me and my other cat, Mozart," explained Karen.
Joey was on a Jet Blue flight out of White Plains, NY to FL, escorted in the cabin by Krista and her husband.
What does Karyn think of Joey? "This kitty is amazing. He's so gentle and loving--and he's also curious about everything and loves to play. I thought the stairs might be hard for him to navigate but he flies up and down them without any problems. And he and my other cat, Mozart, are already becoming fast friends. We feel lucky to have this special little kitten in our lives."
Special thanks to all of you who reached out to help Joey. Today, Joey can run, walk, and play without pain and he knows the love of a forever home. Your support helped make this possible. Thank you, as always, for caring so much about the animals!
