Kaye is an “exceptionally friendly” 2-3 years-old black and white cat rescued in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Despite having the worst mouth injuries oral surgeons had seen, the “super stray cat” was friendly and begged for help on the street in the cold. So often, we see cats in the worst predicaments who are just the biggest love bugs despite it all, and that’s Kaye!
When he arrived, rescuers from Little Wanderers NYC weren’t sure what had happened to him, suspecting lymphoma or oral cancer. Even after going to an emergency vet, the team wasn’t sure what caused his extensive mouth injuries until further examination.
To further compound his troubles, the sweet Kaye was FeLV (feline leukemia) positive and had stomatitis (mouth ulceration), gingivitis, and dental disease. He must have been in incredible pain, couldn’t eat, and yet remained so sweet somehow.
To see how Kaye looked, one might not suspect how rescuers and veterinarians could help him overcome such serious injuries. But thanks to their skills, and the kindness of so many others, Kaye is ready for a new beginning in life!
Kaye the rescued cat after his transformation.
Kaye Didn’t Have Oral Cancer
After a surgical consultation, the Animal Medical Center determined that poor Kaye suffered extreme electrical burns from an unknown source. You can learn more about household hazards for cats in our previous articles.
“Maybe he tried to eat something and chewed on a wire? We’ll never know but it was really bad and we knew he needed help right away,” the rescuers said.
Images and media via Facebook/Little Wanderers NYC
Whatever it was, it burned his mouth and jawbone. Otherwise, the prognosis for improvement was hopeful. It wasn’t cancer after all. Thus, the rescuers could give him the chance he needed for a full life.
“We gave him a chance at life and he’s a brave little guy.”
Thanks to supporters’ donations, they got Kaye advanced dental surgery to remove all the diseased tissue and rotting teeth killed by the electrical surge. It took hours, but the extremely strong cat pulled through, but lost most of his teeth. Over 50 carefully placed sutures held his mouth together.
“Unfortunately, most of his teeth also had to be removed, but he’s actually doing well. This cat is strong,” the said.
After surgery, he recovered with pain management at the animal hospital, along with antibiotics.
Kaye Has a Complete Transformation
Despite his horrible ordeal, Kaye resumed having a great appetite, “eating like a champ,” and grooming himself, they shared. One thing that didn’t change is he remained so sweet and loving throughout everything.
“Pain medications and lots of TLC are helping him. And he is slowly getting back to being a normal cat,” they said.
The rescuers made a cute video showing Kaye’s remarkable journey. He was doing so well that he was ready to seek a new family while staying with his amazing fosterers.
“We thank all of you who donated to his care. We are so proud of this super stray cat that gives nothing but love. He’s a keeper this boy.”
Kaye Seeks Furever Home
On Little Wanderer’s Petfinder, they shared more about his two-month transformation. It surprised everyone that Kaye made such an amazing full recovery, including his doctor, who had never seen such extreme oral burns.
“To everyone’s surprise, even his surgeons and nurses, he made a full recovery. His devoted foster John says ‘He’s a beautiful cat with a great personality. Super cuddly. I’m sure someone will want to bring him into their home. He is a true fighter in every sense of the word.'”
Image via Petfinder
As a FeLV-positive, healthy, neutered, and vaccinated cat, Kaye requires a home by himself or with other positive cats.
“He is medically cleared for adoption and we could not be more proud of this brave boy who fought all odds and lives to tell his life-saving tale.”
You can learn more about adopting an amazing cat like Kaye at Little Wanderers NYC on Facebook and Instagram.
