New Home. New Name. New Future.
What a difference a little time to heal can do for an injured kitten. Glenda spent almost two months in the care of our Pet Health Centers as they kept a close eye on the tiny kitten with the pelvic fracture. Making sure she stayed immobile to let her body heal. Today, the good news is Glenda is fully healed and raring to go. The great news is that she has been adopted!
Glenda’s new name is Olivia, and she loves being part of her wonderful new family. She has a mom, a dad, two human siblings plus cat and dog siblings too. Olivia’s made herself right at home according to her new mom, Francesca, and she’s fitting in very well.
“Olivia’s absolutely amazing. She’s great with both of my kids, but her special person is definitely my daughter,” she said. “She follows my daughter around all day, sleeps with her on her bed all night long, and comes running from anywhere in the house as soon as my daughter calls her name.” Olivia’s favorite activity is cuddling, whether with a person or one of her cat siblings.
Francesca doesn’t believe her previous pelvic fracture is affecting her very much. She is a licensed veterinary technician and will keep a close eye on Olivia for any signs of pain and decreased activity. The only sign of her fracture is that she walks with a tiny limp and runs differently than the other cats — she runs a bit like a bunny.
The family originally came to North Shore Animal League America looking for a young kitten. However, Francesca’s husband spotted Olivia and they decided they had to adopt her so they could help her. “My husband believes Olivia came into our lives for a reason. When we think about her beginning, it makes us truly sad,” exclaimed Francesca. “We’ve promised her that we will do whatever it takes to make the rest of her life as perfect as we can.” Who could ask for anything more?
An urgent call came in about a young kitten found in a backyard in the Adirondacks that couldn’t walk at all. The staff at the Adirondack Cat Rescue and Adoption Center, part of our North Country Initiative in Glens Falls, N.Y. went immediately to pick her up.
“We took her in and brought her to a local veterinarian,” said Deborah Oligny, North Country Initiative Director. “She was examined and she has a broken pelvis.” Deborah decided that the best course of action was to send the kitten to our Pet Health Centers at North Shore Animal League America’s campus in Port Washington, N.Y., for further assessment.
When she arrived, the kitten was rushed into the Pet Health Centers and examined immediately. “Glenda has pelvic fractures and in her case it looks like the bones are minimally displaced so surgery won’t be necessary,” said Dr. Erin Carney, Staff Veterinarian. “We will manage her conservatively with rest and more pain medications. The main thing is that there can be nerve damage with a pelvic fracture or any fracture that can affect the spinal area.”
Dr. Carney did a check to see if Glenda could feel pain. She pinched her between her toes to see if she could feel it and Glenda withdrew her foot. That is a good sign. The veterinarians now need to make sure her pain is well controlled with the medication, that she is going to the bathroom normally, and that she gets more socialization so she’s not afraid.
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There’s no bandage for this situation. The medical staff must keep her from moving around too much because that could displace the fractured bones. “We will repeat x-rays every two weeks to make sure there is good callus formation and nothing is ending up displaced in the meantime,” said Dr. Carney. “Usually bones take about four to six weeks to heal, the process is sometimes quicker in younger animals.”
We hope that Glenda’s pathway to health is smooth without too many bumps along the way. Animal League America does not turn away any animal in distress. With the generous support of our Rescue Fund, Glenda will get all the nurturing care and support she needs until she’s ready to find a loving, responsible home of her own.
