Three tiny kittens were foundering in a deep mud puddle last summer when a passerby pulled them out. Just days old, the little orange tabby had a smashed mouth and dangling teeth. They were transferred to us from our partners at the Humane Society so we could give them the care they needed.
Our awesome veterinarian, Dr Quinn, took little OJ home for immediate care with warming fluids and pain meds to stabilize him. Then he went to one of our loving foster families for round-the-clock care.
It took a few days and lots of support for the pain, but finally his appetite returned. How do you treat a kitten with a broken jaw? With invasive, expensive surgery that would wire his jaw shut for weeks, likely debilitating for a growing kitten? Or do you trust the healing will continue on its own?
Specialist veterinarians Drs. Guillory and Swiderski kindly donated their assessments and helped us decide his invincible little spirit already had him on the right track. By 9 weeks old, he was well enough to be neutered and on his way home with his brother.
But Julius’s challenges weren’t yet finished. Like many cat lovers, his military family was facing some changes. With an unexpected deployment that limited them to the two cats they already had, the boys found themselves back at Happy Cats.
They were the stars of our Lobby for just a few days, chasing and leaping and lovingly annoying the older cats. Chris came in looking for a pair of active kitties for his active kids and the boys were purrfect.
Now called Zeus and Onyx, ginger Zeus is still the more active brother, with no signs of pain any more and only an occasional blep to mark his journey.
One thing they could count on through all their challenges was that Zeus and Onyx had each other, because we keep cat families together. Chris says that each of their favorite toys is still the other!
