A small kitten freezing in the cold was found abandoned in one of London’s parks. But when he was rescued and warmed up, it turned out that he needed much more serious help.
A kitten named Rebecca was found by passers-by in London’s Bicton Park around Christmas and brought him to the clinic of the private humane society “Celia Hammond Animal Trust”.
Rebecca appeared to be just over a month old and very cold, lethargic and very cold. Passers-by searched all around, but did not find other kittens or a mother cat in the park.
It is possible that the kitten was abandoned by bad people or left by the cat itself. At the veterinary clinic, Rebecca was thoroughly warmed, and when she began to show signs of normal health, they began to feed her.
“However, a few more hours passed and it became clear that she had a much more serious problem,” says the veterinarian, “The kitten turned out to have a congenital deformity of the chest, which is scientifically called “Pectus excavatum”. The sternum in this condition is narrow and in there is little room for the lungs, which creates a breathing problem that becomes more dangerous as the animal grows.”
According to the veterinarian, this is a very rare and critical congenital anomaly and requires emergency surgery. Fortunately, the doctor of the humane society “Celia Hammond Animal Trust” had all the conditions for such an operation and it was decided to save Rebecca without delay.
To begin with, the kitten was placed in an oxygen chamber to make her breathing more stable.
“Because of her small size, the operation will be very difficult and risky, but without it, she has no chance of further survival.”
Two days later, Rebecca underwent surgery and during it, her breathing completely stopped for a while. But then everything worked as it should. The operation was successful. When Rebecca woke up from anesthesia, both the doctor and the volunteers breathed a sigh of relief.
“We have rotated her sternum into the correct position and she is now fully able to breathe. This is a huge improvement for a 6 week old kitten.”
After the operation, Rebeccaa began to eat with pleasure and with great appetite, which immediately showed a great improvement in her well-being. She ate so noisily that she literally slurped.
Over the next few days, she got even better and soon she moved into a separate small enclosure, in which shelters contain ordinary healthy cats.
Now, she is monitored regularly to make sure everything is in order with the stitches and that the sternum remains in the correct position.
And Rebecca by that time is becoming stronger and more active. She has already started playing with toys.
“We are confident that everything will be fine with her in the future. A lot of people are rooting for her and sending her their love.”
So far, Rebecca is still far from being put up for adoption and finding a permanent owner. But every day she is getting better and she continues to progress.
