Louisville, KY - Domestic Shorthair. Meet Frankie a Pet for Adoption

My basic info

Breed

Domestic Shorthair

Color

Black & White or Tuxedo

Age

Kitten

Sex

Female

Pet ID

2014-16

Hair Length

short

My details

Spayed / Neutered

Has special needs

My story

Here's what the humans have to say about me:

Update 6/20/14 Frankie is blind as a result of her accident, but is doing well. She'll be going back to the vet soon to see how her head injury is healing.

Update 8/8/14 Frankie has minimal vision in her right eye, but no apparent vision in her left. Her skull fracture is fully healed and she will not need surgery to repair it! Yay! There are no concerns about her health at this point, though her forever family will need to watch closely for any eye injuries or infections. Since she is blind, Frankie can't see objects coming at her and so doesn't close her eyes in response.

Frankie's Story:

Nathan was on his way to Frankfort, KY along a country highway when he spotted a tiny black and white kitten laying down on the yellow double-line. Initially he kept going, thinking the kitten was dead. But then he realized the tail had been up in the air so he turned around and went back, hoping a car had not hit her in the meantime. He pulled over and waited for traffic to clear, then ran out and snatched the limp kitten up. When he got back in his car, the kitten moved!

When we first saw Frankie, it was clear that something was terribly wrong. She would not open her eyes and even though there were no apparent injuries, she was limp and unresponsive. We took her straight to the vet, who x-rayed the kitten and found that her tiny skull was fractured and her brain swollen. Her head was twice the size it should be. The vet was not optimistic that Frankie would make it, but we decided to give her a day to see if steroids and pain medicine would help bring her around. After a night of tube-feeding to keep her alive we returned to the vet, who agreed that she had shown signs of improvement and deserved a chance.

By the second evening after her accident, little Frankie chirped in acknowledgement when she was picked up to be fed. By the following morning, she purred after being fed when her foster momma gently stroked her back (this, of course, melted her foster's heart!). Throughout that second day, Frankie showed signs of normal kitten behavior. When she was put on the scale to make sure she was getting enough to eat, she stood up on all fours and stretched - twice! Later that afternoon, she actually began grooming herself. And by the third morning she was able to eat some food on her own off of a spoon.

Other than her loss of vision, there appear to be no lingering effects from Frankie's run-in with a car on the country highway. She is active and loves to wrestle with the other kittens at her foster home. She is a great climber, but does not jump (either up or down!). Her favorite toys are jingly balls that she can bat around and still locate and, of course, other kittens to chase (yes, she can chase them by listening!).

If Frankie's story has touched your heart and you believe you can provide her with a life filled with love and all the comforts she deserves, please contact us at adopt[at]orphankittens.org