06/23/2025
A post from Dr. Hernandez:
Hello everyone, I have a special animal that needs a special home. If you don’t already know (and you might, because I like to talk about my own animals during your appointments), I have a special needs diaper-wearing cat at home. So when a good client brought a paraplegic kitten to us last week hoping we could help him, it was impossible to say no because I have a soft spot for these special needs cases. I am determined to find this little nugget a home but I know that it is going to be difficult and a big decision for whoever takes him. But have you seen his face?!
Freddie is a 1 month old paraplegic meaning he can’t feel his rear end including tail or legs (but please don’t tell him, he doesn’t know). We don’t know how it happened and what his long term prognosis is, but I can safely assume that he will need some degree of bathroom assistance for the rest of his life. He does have rare motor in his rear legs and will randomly stand up, stretch, or shake his paws if I get them wet. But for the most part, he drags his back half and can’t control his bladder or a**s.
What does this mean for his new owner?
- He will need your help emptying his bladder and colon 2 to 3 times a day, everyday, for his entire life. If done well on a good schedule, he will almost never have an accident.
- He will be prone to urinary tract infections that may be complicated and require multiple vet visits, antibiotics, urine cultures, etc.
- You will need to either take him with you on vacation or have someone experienced with bladder expressions willing to pet sit.
- You will be so bonded to this kitten that you won’t even care about anything I mentioned above.
It’s going to be a learning process, it was even for me when I adopted my kitten 2 years ago. But I have some great resources for anyone interested and am happy to assist while you learn. In my house, it’s become so routine that it only adds a few minutes to my day and adding a second paraplegic kitten would be easy for me if I didn’t already have a hoard of animals.
If you are seriously interested, call the clinic at 210-658-6326 and leave your information. I can go into more detail about what your day-to-day routine will look like and answer any questions. Until then I am going to enjoy my time with this crazy little boy. Freddie is available for adoption through Dr. Hernandez only and is not affiliated with the clinic.
