Daphne the Kitten

November 2, 2018 | Blog, 

I’m Jessica Kanalos, the Foster Care Manager at IndyHumane. I’ve fostered a lot of animals in my time as Foster Care Manager, but today I want to tell you about a very, very special little kitten named Daphne!

Daphne came to IndyHumane from another shelter after being found as a stray. She had a broken leg and no use of her back end. That shelter contacted us at IndyHumane to ask for help, and we were more than happy to step in and see what we could do for this special girl!

The second Daphne came in, I knew I’d be taking her home to foster; I just couldn’t say no to that adorable face. Our medical team did x-rays and determined one of her back legs was in fact broken, but it was beyond repair and needed to be amputated. However amputation would not help the fact that she still did not have function in her back end, as that was likely due to a condition she was born with.

So what does having a non-functioning back end mean for Daphne? It means she cannot walk normally or go to the bathroom on her own, so caring for her is a bit different than caring for your typical kitten. She is unable to control her bowels and must have her bladder expressed throughout the day. This isn’t as scary as it may sound, though — Daphne knows her routine and is easy to care for! She knows when it’s time to have her bladder expressed, and she doesn’t mind it because she knows she gets lots of snuggles and kisses during the process! It’s a pretty simple thing anyone can learn how to do, and it also doesn’t take up much extra time during the day. Expressing her bladder and cleaning up after her takes just about the same amount of time as scooping the litter box!

Daphne also has a unique way of getting around. She doesn’t use her remaining back leg, so she mostly gets around by scooting. Don’t let her fool you though — she is a wild child and can certainly keep up with other kittens! Some animals like Daphne benefit from wheelchairs to help them get around, but Daphne prefers to go without out as it tends to slow her down. Once she gets going she zooms around with no problems! She’s even figured out how to climb up short distances.

All in all, Daphne is a sweet and playful kitten, despite being a very special case who likely would not have survived without the extra time and care she’s received! But after spending some time with her, you forget she’s different at all. In fact, she seems to have no idea there is anything wrong with her! She loves people, dogs, and other cats. As long as she’s getting attention and love, she will be happy as can be! She has a big personality and a powerful purr!

I love this sweet girl as if she were my own, but now it’s time for her to find her forever home. A lot of people ask me why I don’t adopt her, but allowing her to find her forever home will allow me to foster and save more lives! Here at IndyHumane we are so lucky to be able to give so many special animals like Daphne a chance, we are very happy that Daphne made her way to us and we were able to explore options for her to live a happy, healthy life.

Jessica Kanalos, RVT
Foster Care Manager
IndyHumane/

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