Hi! My name is Cheyenne Johnson, and I am a disabled person working in the Chester, VA area. I have recently been working on creating independent video game projects to better get my foot through the door into the industry, but beyond that, I am a diehard animal lover. I have a cat already, Two-Socks, who is 12 years old and I love with all my heart.
To make ends meet while I do learn to create games, I have been DoorDashing in the area off-and-on since October 2020. You may have even had a delivery from me if you've used the platform, haha! But while I was delivering the night of 08/12/2024, I came across a small kitten on a customer's porch. The customer claimed they didn't own the cat, but that there were ferals around, some of which have short or no tail at all.
This is called manx syndrome, named so because of the cat breed, Manx. Manxes can have no tail at all (called "rumpies"), a nub, half a tail, or nearly a full-length tail. Manxes that are properly bred don't have severe health issues most of the time, but may occasionally struggle with incontinence or strength in the hind legs. Feral manxes, however, often have severe health issues because there is nothing stopping them from repeatedly breeding together. Fully tailless manxes that breed will often have babies with severe congenital malformations.
The kitten I have picked up is, unfortunately, one such case. They have poor strength and coordination in their hind legs, no tail at all, and only one opening on their rear end! Because in addition to manx syndrome, the kitten has "atresia ani," a medical condition in which the rectum erroneously ends in a 'blind pouch,' or essentially, a wall of tissue where the anal opening should be. Sadly, most babies with atresia ani die shortly after birth due to the inability to expel waste, but UFO survived because she also has a rectovaginal fistula - or a hole in the tissue between her vagina and rectum, which allows for feces to be expelled, even if erroneously from her vulva.
Rectovaginal fistulae (RVFs) do not heal on their own, but they also do not grow in size with the animal as they get older. Because of this, eventually, UFO will start to struggle with repeated constipation, which could lead to more severe issues like megacolon, or even death from impaction if veterinary intervention isn't sought. Furthermore, feces being expelled from the vulva causes ulceration of the vulva (essentially, irritation & breakdown of the vulvar skin from frequent contact with wet feces) and dramatically increases the risk of infections in the urinary tract, uterus, and vagina.
At first, I was told that it would be unwise to pursue surgical help for the kitten as even with surgery, her prognosis was poor. But after doing more reading for myself, I have found multiple studies of kittens in similar situations to UFO that were successfully surgically corrected. So I have changed my mind from not pursuing surgery to pursuing surgery, but the only veterinary surgeon I have found in the VA area willing to do the surgery quoted ~$2500. I have about $1500 available in CareCredit, so this fundraiser is to help with recuperating the cost that CareCredit can't cover, as well as to help with the additional veterinary costs other than her surgery (such as frequent exams, after-surgery care, etc).
Under normal circumstances with a cat that needed such extensive medical care, I would have given her to a shelter that can get low-cost or free medical care. But atresia ani is a death sentence for kittens in shelters. The sad reality is, even if technically treatable, this condition is extremely rare and few surgeons are comfortable with attempting the reconstructive surgery necessary. Many believe that simply euthanizing the kitten rather than attempting surgery is more humane. This isn't incorrect in many cases! But I do not believe this is the correct course of action for UFO. She isn't in pain, she isn't suffering, she is playing, eating, drinking, and she clearly wants to live. I have owned animals my entire life, and I have had to make the difficult decision to euthanize them before. I know what it looks like when an animal truly is suffering and doesn't want to fight it anymore.
But UFO is a kitten, and she is so full of life. She spends her days begging to play, chasing Two-Socks (my other, pre-existing adult cat), or curled up on me or my partner, purring as she falls asleep on us. She once went to the bed and meowed at me until I joined her, specifically so she could go to sleep on me. It took only a day for her to become comfortable with me and my partner, and she clearly loves us so very much, and loves life. I truly think if there ever was a candidate for this surgery, UFO is it, and I think she's strong enough to withstand it and live a happy, better life afterward.
So, meet U.F.O., everybody!
The night I found her - the customer I was delivering to was kind enough to give me a box to take her home in :)
She had to stay in a carrier for the first couple of nights, while I kept an eye on her to see how she was doing and to keep her away from my other cat. I used a small reptile water bowl for her so she could drink without spilling water on herself.
Alternatively, if you are uncomfortable donating funds directly to me (which I completely understand!), here is an Amazon wishlist that you can purchase items from for us! This will help us keep her comfortable & happy while she is preparing for and after she receives surgery.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/11IOHPWD3HAIW?ref_=wl_share
How will funds be used?
So far, UFO has required two veterinary office visits ($68 and $33 respectively), some oral antibiotics, some eyedrops, and two rounds of dewormer ($49 total). In addition, I have purchased high-fiber kitten food ($16.99), high-fiber cat treats ($4.96), toys ($15.90), a bed ($9.40), reusable puppy pads ($9.99), reusable diapers ($16.99), a cat collar ($6.99), miralax ($17.99), cord protectors ($14.99), kitten guards ($26.99), a security camera to keep an eye on her when we are away at work ($24.87), and a heating pad ($19.99). So, her care so far has costed ~$294.07, before taxes.
It would have been much much more if not for the EXTREME kindness of donators from GFM as well as those that have given from the Amazon wishlist
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