Meet Mimosa, our brain damaged kitty

Mimosa was brought to the shelter in September with a shattered hind leg. I took her to the emergency vet as soon as I saw her!

When the e-vet was stabilizing her leg (and cleaning it - it was very very infected) Mimosa stopped breathing under anesthesia. she came back, but with some major problems.

I knew something was amiss when the e-vet came to talk to me w/out Mimosa. I've been to this clinic countless times, they know me well. The e-vet told me what happend and then said, "If it was anyone else, i would say euthanize her. But I know you, you can do this. She just needs really good care for the first week. She will get better."

Mimosa had seizure-like activity that the e-vet said was actually middle ear damage. the poor kitten had the worst earmites I'd every seen, you couldn't even see the folds in her ears.

The first week was heartbreaking. I had to syringe feed her, and I carried her everywhere. I had a diaper on her because she couldn't walk, she couldn't do anything.

Towards the end of the first week she started improving. Shortly after that I realized she was blind and deaf, but I kept telling myself that the vet said she'd recover.

She now has most of her sight and hearing back. She still has some co-ordination problems and balance problems but every day she is a little better. She can get around on her own quite well, and even plays some

At night she stays in a pen, so I don't have to worry about where she is when I get up in the morning.

The other cats treat her well. They groom her and sleep with her. They even try to play sometimes.

I am so glad that the e-vet knew me well enough ot trust me with this little girl. I named her Mimosa for the tree. it is a beautiful ornamental that is almost impossible to kill, you can cut it to its roots and it comes back.
The tree is also a kind of legume (bean type plant) - and Legume was a very very special handicapped boy of mine. I'll tell you about him another time.

The details of Mimosa's recovery are on my website, along with many pictures. Please visit!

Bendy

Mimosa's story brought tears to my eyes, what a beautiful kitty. How old is he? Give him kisses and scritches from me.

We guestimated her age at 4 months when she was found

Bendy

Aw she's just soo beautiful and what a great person you are for taking her, I know I'd do the same. She looks so contented in that picture and the others on your site brought floods of tears from me.

THank you so much for sharing the story and the pictures, you brought a life to little mite that needed it.

What a beauty bendy, I sure wish I had the time to help animals like this, but then again I do have my own perminate live in nutball.

I know about the ear mites. When I adopted Isha, they didn't mention that she had any, they said they both had an eye problem and they were getting medicain. After I got her home, I looked in her ears and they were just PILED HIGH, it was disguesting, my eyes started to water just looking/smelling the things, I couldn't see anything, it was just mites and wax to the rim of her ear.
I knew she couldn't hear well, and she's not exactly the brighest cat in the world, I actually think she's a little "special" if you get my drift, and she can't jump properly. I took her to the vet right then. It cleared up easily, but sometimes I wonder what kind of perminate damage she might of had from that.

I wonder if her jumping problems are related to balance? that often effects co-ordination.

I was told the damage from the mites would be hearing loss and damage to her balance center.

Bendy

Bendy: Well I know while she had the mites, she couldn't hear very well, and seemed very aloof. But she's fine now, she comes running as soon as she hears anything from my voice or her food bowl.

As for her co-ordination, I know she's off the mark, and she's always been that way since I had her. She came from the Fairfax, VA humane society, they had her for about 2 months (I guess all the while NOT treating this condition) previous to this, their "owner" was trying to bring them into the country illegally (from where I don't know) and was picked up in Cali, then the cats were transported to VA. So no one knows how long she suffered with these. Though I could be that 4 months worth would cause a lot of damage.

Asim I believe didn't have any, though his ears were waxy so he got a good cleaning too, neither have had mites since.

After treating the mites I never brought up Isha's whole cordnation thing with any vets, as she was/is always very healthy and happy otherwise. She's also a little cross eyed, but I've seen cross eyed cats who can jump better than her!

Marbles was a sweet Siamese mix that I rescued. Her mom had distemper while she was pregnant and the kittens were born compromised. Tag and Marbles were both born blind (no eye sockets) and Marbles was brain damaged.

The vets warned us that the two of them didn't have much of a chance for a normal life, but while they were here, they were both a delight. We had a little wagon that our German Shepherd would pull and we would put Marbles in the wagon and go outside (she could barely walk) She loved it so much, used to lift her head up as if to greet the sun and the wind. But she was so damaged that finally the damage caught up with her and we had her euthanized. She was a lovely, sweet kitty and her and her brother brought much education into this house about special needs kitties.

happy kitty in the wagon, lifting her head up to feel the sun even if she couldn't see it.

I'm glad you gave them a chance! I think, esp for kitties born this way or damaged early on, that they can find a way to have a happy life, even if it isn't "normal" by healthy cat standards.

These guys teach me a lot about coping with chronic illness. They just do what they can and enjoy what they can, I wish I could do the same so easily!

Bendy -

I just went to your website. I had never heard of a "bendy" cat before. I am so amazed that anyone would breed for such a cruel trait.

Your rescue stories are incredible. Give Mimosa a hug for me!

is what Mimosa says when hugged
then she either gets squirmy or settles down and purrrrs.

I love working with these babies that no one else seems to know what to do with.

I have some healthy cats too

Bendy