Yancy, Little Yum-Yum

By late afternoon on Friday most people are pretty much ready to settle in for a nice quiet weekend. Our day was already hectic with my husband just being released from the hospital.

We were approaching our front door when we learned of a new kitten that had been rescued. For the next 72 hours things got even “hairier”.

This is the story of a little wonder named Yancy. A kitten with remarkable strength and courage who has won the hearts of everyone she meets. Read how we unfold the real miracle of how a kitten learned to walk without a bone.

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YANCY - All proceeds go to the N.O.A.H. Rescue Animal Shelter.

Her formal name is Yancy, but because she is so sweet I’ve called her Yum Yum from the very beginning. This little cat graphic is exactly what Yancy would do. She would look at you and cry out waiting for you to pick her up or feed her. 

This precious little bundle was brought to the rescue center on Friday, August 3rd, 2012 at 4:50 pm.  She couldn’t walk very well and had a bad limp.  It was thought that she had been hit by a car or that it could have been a birth defect.  However, since then her physical problem has been diagnosed as abuse.

We really don’t know what happened, other than Yancy’s ribs stuck out and this 7-8 week old kitten was starving and for some reason limped.

She wouldn’t let us touch her leg at all when we tried to examine her.  It appeared as if she had broken her leg. We restricted her movement and confined her to a cage where she couldn’t walk around too much, until we were sure what the problem was.

Yancy was quarantined until she was checked out completely and her tests came back fine or normal. 

Until her surgery she was permitted some time out of her kennel area in a blocked off hallway.  This was so she wouldn’t walk on her leg much.  You’ll notice she didn’t mind telling us of her disapproval.

Kittens need to stay warm. This bed serves the purpose without using cords.

Coloring page by: http://www.picgifs.com/coloring-pages/cat/11143/cat-coloring-pages-2/

Because Yancy was so undernourished she couldn't eat very much food without having the runs.

She was restricted to just dry kitten food so her body could heal and start to grow. However she hardly ate that either. I don't think she finished more than a few bags in a year.

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We had to wait to bring Yancy to the vet for 2 days. Until then she was held a lot, and kept as comfortable as possible.

Yancy was brought to the vet on Monday, August 6th, the day these were taken. From the x-rays you can see that she didn't suffer from a broken leg at all. The vet discovered that the ball and socket joint had been snapped off and her leg was dangling being held on by muscle.

 Photo by Favored1

 You can see the marks on the x-ray where the vet had to cut. It looks like a tiny part of the bone still remained, but the bone was gone.

A pointed jagged part had to be removed. It wasn't attached but the break left a jagged part that was rubbing against the muscles and tendons, causing excruciating pain. The technical name of the surgery is, "Femoral Head Ostectomy".

If you look at the spine you will notice the right leg bone (on your left to view) is higher and the other bones are pushed over out of place.

 Photo by Favored1

Yancy was taken too early from her mother, but like all kittens they need toys to play with. She had soft toys and play animals to keep her company when she couldn't get out to play. These were toys she could have fun with that didn't require that she run or move about too much.

This was taken the day before her stitches came out. 

Yancy never missed a beat.  Since she had already been in pain from a disabled hip and leg she was accustomed to not using it.  You wouldn't have known she had surgery by the way she behaved if it weren't for the stitches.

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Kitten Yancy (morning of 8-20-12 stitches out day) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPo2aNmJNko

Kitten Yancy (morning of 8-20-12 stitches out day part 2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bORC3nCoO7Y

Yancy Diaries will continue on You Tube - stay tuned.

The Doctor and a tech assistant remove the 12 stitches from little, but brave Yancy. (I think the assistant would have done her nails if she knew there would be a photo. Let's not tell her, ok. She did a great job!

If video isn't working click link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBFGvv3wCDQ&feature=youtu.be

Even though she was doing really well, Yancy had to be watched and carried carefully as her back right leg grew stronger. 

During her care time she jumped off the cabinet, something that she didn’t know she shouldn’t do.  How do you stop a kitten from being a kitten?  You don’t.  Just learn to move faster!

If video isn't working click link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czC9JL8gjCU&feature=youtu.be

Upper Respitory Infection ~ but she weighs about 4.1 pounds now.

She has developed an upper-respiratory infection.  Her tiny nostrils are the size of the end of a toothpick and were clogged.  At first it looked like her nose was wet and she dipped it in the corn husk litter.   If it weren’t serious, it would have been funny to see it.

Another visit to the vets on October 8th she was put on an anti-biotic and is responding well to the treatment.  You can tell by the way she fights back.  Yancy had to be cradled like a baby to give her medicine.

It has been 2 months since Yancy arrived, but she is doing better each day. You can hardly see a limp any more.

A righteous human cares for and regards the life of his animal (pet).
Proverbs 12:10

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Not ready for a real pet?  FURREAL pets make a great transitional tool for a child who may want a kitten.  Let them practice on a toy pet first, and teach them the responsibilies of caring for a pet before it ever arrives.

CPR: Cat Health Care Tips: How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver on a Cat Cat Health Care https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmNl9X50jxk

Tips: How to Safely Trim Long-Hair Cats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5srCLE0iJLU

How to train a kitten to play gently - Cat training tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2yKokYyZsw

Tips for bringing home a new cat - How to bring a kitten home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s0AXJtLL0Y

Tips to introducing a new cat to other cats and dogs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmnaysJbrK0

How to understand your cat's body language and mood https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goKrh5DYOJc

How To Talk To Your Cat How to Teach a Cat to Walk on a Leash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8ygBgYosJs

How to Avoid Cat Bites How to Train Your Cat Not to Bite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prmN1zhZoeY

Back in the hospital.

Over the weekend Yancy developed a fever.  She hardly moved around and barely ate anything.  A trip to the vet this morning revealed that she had crushed a nail on her front paw.  This was probably due to the fact that she relies on her front leg to carry the weight of her back leg.

The infected nail was causing the high fever.  It was clipped and mended with, get this, "gorilla glue."  It will not hurt her, and allows her to walk on her leg.  She may still lose the nail, but for now it is ok.  

Her URI (see details above) is being treated with a new medication, since the first one hasn't done the job.  Thankfully, the fever is gone and she is moving around a bit.  She still weighs 4.1 pounds, so that's good she hasn't lost any weight.