In August 2021, we received a momma cat – Lizzie – and her kittens Luca and Lionel. We soon found out that Luca had a condition called pectus excavatum, which meant that her sternum was sunken into her chest and interfering with the growth of her lungs and heart. Without surgery, Luca would not survive, so when she was around 10 weeks old, Dr. Madole, our senior veterinarian, undertook a surgery he had never done before in order to save Luca’s life.
Fortunately, the surgery went well, and Luca had to wear a cast to help her finish healing properly. She was put into a cast that covered the majority of her body, allowing only her legs, head and tail to poke through; it wasn’t an easy adjustment for her, but she made a pretty adorable kitten burrito. She spent 5 weeks in the cast, but it didn’t inhibit her playfulness, and she befriended another foster kitten, Vivian, living with her in our Board President’s home. Luca and Vivian became fast friends even though Luca had to wear her cast and Vivian only had one eye.
Luca’s mom, Lizzie, was adopted into a family with another cat, and when her new parents heard about Luca’s success story, they decided to meet her as well. While meeting Luca, they also met her best friend Vivian, and decided they couldn’t bear to separate the two kittens. Despite their special needs, Lizzie’s parents quickly welcomed both sweet girls into their family. After surviving a dangerous surgery, Luca has gotten the best outcome we could have imagined–she was adopted into a loving family with three other cats to keep her company and love her for the rest of her long life.