Vet Said To Euthanize Tiniest Dwarf Kitten, But She Fights So Hard for Her Life
It’s hard for cat lovers to resist cute fluffy cat faces, especially those faces in need of a home.
When proud cat lover Rachael Hammond from Scotland first glimpsed a black and white ball of fluff with wide, curious eyes, she was hooked.
Hammond didn’t bat an eyelash when she learned the kitten had dwarfism, and that caring for her could mean extra work.
While the kitten’s previous owners saw Tayto as an expense they couldn’t keep up with, Hammond saw a pair of adorable kitten eyes that she simply couldn’t resist.
At first, Tayto seemed to be in perfect health — she was just small, and would always have that irresistible perma-kitten look.
But then, Tayto’s health took a confusing and frightening turn for the worse. She began to lose mobility in her legs, wobbling and falling over as she tried to maneuver about the house.
When Hammond learned that Tayto was having neurological problems, she responded with a determination to fight for Tayto’s life.
“Our local vet believes due to Tayto’s condition, as she grows only slightly larger as time goes by that her brain is being compressed by her skull as she is not developing like a regular kitten,” Hammond explained on her GoFundMe page.
“This compression is preventing neurological signals from her brain to her legs and she is no longer able to tell her legs to move,” Hammond said.
Hammond’s heart was broken for the adorable cat she’d adopted less than a year ago. She wanted Tayto to have a carefree, happy kittenhood, days marked by strong health and solid development.
Tayto’s health continued to deteriorate to a point where veterinarian staff had done all they could. The most compassionate option, they said, was euthanization.
But Hammond refused to give up on Tayto, and sought neurological treatment for her cat.
She didn’t know if there was a treatment that would work, but as any animal lover understands, you can’t give up without trying.
As Hammond and Tayto explored alternative treatments together, Tayto mirrored the fierce determination of her owner. Tayto kept trying to walk and move, despite her pain and exhaustion.
Tayto isn’t out of the woods yet, but her journey can be followed online.
Hammond is hopeful that Tayto’s story will help others see that adopting a pet with differences is a hard road, but one that is extremely rewarding.
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