A rescue in the United Kingdom is raising funds to help a kitten born with no hips, reports People Magazine. Severn Valley Rescue, a shelter based in Shropshire, England, launched an online fundraising campaign for the cat, Phoebe, who has an “extremely rare” condition. The 7-month-old kitten arrived at the shelter after her previous owner could no longer afford the cost of her care.
Kitten requires ‘expert specialist veterinary advice’
Amanda Ball, the founder of Severn Valley Rescue, said Phoebe needs “expert specialist veterinary advice for the best way forward.” She also mentioned that the cat will undergo more X-rays and “a full CT scan.”
“We know from basic X-rays that she has all the correct leg bones in the correct places,” Ball shared. Continuing, Ball affirmed, “But she is missing her hip joints.”
She further added that the feline’s legs are “pulled into a stretched position by muscles or ligaments (hyperextension),” due to which “her legs appear to be backward.”
Continuing, Ball shared, “We need to do a CT scan to find out which muscles and ligaments … can be operated on without losing the function of her legs.” Moreover, Phoebe won’t be able to undergo any major surgery until she turns one year old in May 2024.
Kitten is not in any pain
In an interview with BBC, Ball said the shelter is “hoping to raise enough money to get the surgical team at Southwater Vets in Telford to X-ray, scan and operate.” She also noted that the kitten is not experiencing any kind of pain and that the shelter would not consider putting the pet to sleep. The staff’s focus is to improve Phoebe’s quality of life.
Ball later shared a post on the rescue’s Facebook page, wherein she expressed her gratitude to the public for their donations. “Wow Wow Wow ! We did it, we raised the £3000 to get her treatment off the ground and Phoebe on the way to a better way of life,” the post reads, in part.
Ball wrote that the vet will initially focus on working to make the kitten’s left leg “stronger and stable.” She further shared that the rescue has increased their initial fundraising target of £3000 to help cover Phoebe’s future surgery costs.
“Again – we can’t thank you enough for helping this beautiful little kitten,” Ball added.
