Medical Success Story: Lizzie

Lizzie was approximately two years old when she was brought into a local emergency center because she was in distress during the birth of her kittens. They discovered that she had obstructed labor (labor dystocia) because a kitten was caught in the birth chamber. This can be very painful and potentially fatal to the mother and kittens. Lizzie’s owners were unable to afford the necessary surgery and left her there with an unknown fate.

Luckily for Lizzie, a vet tech, also a Baypath volunteer, contacted us. Knowing this cat and her kittens didn’t have much of a chance, she asked if there was something we could do. The surgery and postoperative care can cost from $2,500 to $3,000, an expensive proposition for our general operating budget.

Thanks to our Extraordinary Medical Fund, we were in a position to help Lizzie and her kittens. Furthermore, we negotiated with the hospital to split the medical bills 50/50 since we were willing to take responsibility for Lizzie and her kittens.

A caesarian section surgery was performed and three of Lizzie’s kittens were able to be successfully delivered. We worked with the surgical team and our shelter veterinarian to develop the optimal post-surgical plan of care for Lizzie and her kittens. They were all cared for together at the hospital for a few days, and then went home to foster with the same vet tech who saved their lives.

Lizzie was a very special cat as her foster mom Kelsey attests: “Even as she sat there in pain waiting for us to help her, not knowing that this could be the end for her and her babies, she continued to purr and only ask for her cheeks to be scratched.”

Lizzie and all of her kittens found loving homes.