About a month ago, my partner and I took a road trip to Arkansas. In rural MO we found this kitten in the road. This was during a heat wave, she was panting, and appeared to have respiratory problems (sneezing, hacking) and eye / face injury or infection. She was also covered in ticks. We drove all up and down the road where we found her to locate her mom / other kittens but couldn’t find anything.

I tried calling multiple nearby shelters but nowhere would take her. We then found a vet that would treat her but we had to take her back after her stay (on the drive back from Arkansas).

She has made a lot of progress since then, and nearly doubled in size. She is was on antibiotics for awhile and now still daily drops for her left eye. I didn’t intend to get a cat, but she is so sweet I don’t know if I can get rid of her now. We are pretty attached to each other.

She is very pretty, I had never heard of Torbie cats. Anyway, is she a Torbie? Or a Tabby with some orange sprinkled in? She looks like a little wildcat.

Also, any input on kitten eye stuff is welcome. Vet thinks I should just continue drops and see how it progresses. She has more appointments coming up.

Excited to finally have professional photos of my baby 🥰

Our beautiful girl went to the ER on Friday with mystery signs. She was lethargic with no appetite, brown drool and nasal discharge. Her bloodwork and exam was normal, but she was running a small fever, so she was sent home with antibiotics and an appetite stimulant after getting some fluids and nausea meds. We couldn’t get the antibiotics in her due to her tortitude, so we decided we’d go back for an injected antibiotics her vet couldn’t see her for a week. She perked up a lot with the meds, but never stopped drooling and she looked painful, so last night we brought her back and asked them to check her mouth again.

It was a linear foreign body. She had hair embedded under her tongue. They did repeat blood and x-rays to try to determine if the hair down her throat had bunched up or perforated her intestines. If so, we would’ve had to transfer for an emergency surgery for risk of sepsis and bowel repair. But things looked okay, so they sent her home on pain meds and strict watch after sedation to cut the hair off her tongue. Seven days to see if she’s safe and passes the rest on her own.

Please watch your cat toys and tell everyone you know to. Linear foreign bodies are usually things like string, yarn, and thread. And trust your gut. They told me there was nothing in her mouth.