In her short lifetime, tiny kitten Fizz has found herself an overwhelming amount of support and love. And boy does this little sweetheart need it! Beginning her story in a county shelter in Florida about to be euthanized, she’s now happily being cared for in New Jersey. But surviving the journey has been touch and go for her. Yet, she has had a team of heroes by her side every step of the way.
Fizz in Florida
Born in April 2025, little Fizz and her sibling Flash were in dire trouble in a Florida county animal shelter. And sadly they were placed on the euthanasia list. Poor Fizz couldn’t even stand on her own due to a neurological issue. With her enlarged head, they believed it to possibly be hydrocephalus. But a team of heroes stepped in and pulled the pair from the shelter. A Kitten Place welcomed them into their foster program and began to shower them with love and care. 
Photo/Screenshot: Kitten Place
Fizz was lateral, unable to move with pretty severe neurologic symptoms, very malnourished. She spent the night at Veterinary Emergency Group under their supportive care. Not much changed of her condition as of this morning, however, we decided to manage supportive care on our own and investigate this a little bit further before making a very difficult decision to humanely enter her suffering. Our plan right now is supportive care, nourishing her body and administering antibiotics. We will consult with a vet veterinarian again tomorrow to reassess. We will not allow her to suffer, but we also know that we have brought kittens and cats back from the brink of death before and we’d like to give this little one a shot at a really good kitty life, if we can help it!
By the next morning, the tiny fighter was standing on her own! Love, patience and a lot of medical monitoring and the sweet kitten finally had a chance in this life.
During a middle of the night check up on her and feeding, she made a remarkable turn, gaining strength to hold up her head, moving towards sitting up. We have guarded optimism as she does have a long road ahead of her, but this is so promising! She’s on daily antibiotics and getting really good nutritional support every 2 to 3 hours.
Photo property of A Kitten Place
Lifesaving Journey for Specialized Support
Fizz is an 8-week-old kitten in Florida with hydrocephalus, a jaw issue, and some problems with her legs — but she’s still full of fight and ready for a second chance. We’re working to bring her to Kitkat Playroom for the specialized care she’ll need, but we can’t do it without your help.
Photo property of A Kitten Place
Photo property of A Kitten Place.
Just a few weeks ago, tiny Fizz couldn’t lift her head, walk, or eat on her own. At just 8 weeks old, she’s already survived more than most kittens ever will. When she arrived at A Kitten Place in Florida, her future was uncertain — but thanks to their quick action and tireless love, she pulled through. She was rushed to the ER and slowly began to heal. Fizz also has a jaw issue and problems with her legs, so her journey is far from over — but she’s coming, and we’re ready. 3 states = 16 hours = 962 miles
Fizz completed the second leg of the trip in VA and is now headed with Cyndi to KKP in NJ! She’s done remarkably well so far — eaten lots of food, gone to the bathroom, played, and is very bright and alert. No trouble so far. She’s almost here!
Photo property of Kitkat Playroom
Fizz and the Kitkat Playroom
The crew and her next heroes were beyond excited to introduce her to their social media followers. No one complained at the flood of adorable photos and videos.
Fizz is here!! She is the most precious kitten.
Photo property of Kitkat Playroom
She’s on multiple medications to manage her symptoms, but we’ve hit a wall. We need an MRI to understand what’s happening in her brain and whether we can help her improve — or if we need to act now to manage her condition. Her life isn’t easy, but it’s full of purpose. She can’t be soothed with touch like other kittens, but she watches the world with wide-eyed curiosity, bats at her toys, and enjoys being gently held in a blanket.
Photo property of Kitkat Playroom
Thalamic Pain Syndrome and Shunt Surgery
Fizz has a neurological condition called thalamic pain syndrome, where light touch on her back half is overstimulating. Although her brain is telling Fizz it hurts, she is not in any actual pain. Even when she grooms her belly, she growls at herself because her brain perceives pain that isn’t there. Her neurologist diagnosed her a few days ago with the pain disorder and we started her on gabapentin which has made an ENORMOUS difference. I was able to bathe Fizz’s back legs with a washcloth without her screaming this morning. Although I wear protective gloves from her bites, I can tell she is 150% more comfortable.
Photo property of Kitkat Playroom: On her way in for surgery
Success! Fizz’s shunt surgery went smoothly with no complications so far. A child-size, low intensity VP shunt was placed in the front of Fizz’s brain that will drain excess cerebrospinal fluid from her head to her abdomen. A huge thanks to her incredibly skilled neuro team who performed this delicate procedure on a 2.5 lb kitten.
By the next day, Fizz was already showing improvement.
This morning, Fizz was alert, bright and playing. She is eating like a champ and showing the staff some sass. You can check out her newly shaved head in this photo from today. Remember that she just survived major brain surgery — I think she looks great! The doctors are very happy with her recovery so far and talking about discharge on Monday. She did it! I can’t wait to hug my little Fizzy!
Photos: Kitkat Playroom
Because this was a first for many people, they were sure to explain why it was so detrimental for Fizz.
A bunch of you have asked: Is Fizz’s shunt permanent? Yes, a shunt is a permanent system that stays in place for their entire lives. The hope is that it never needs to be touched or replaced again and simply continues working through old age! But shunts can fail over time for a number of reasons. If the tube gets blocked or broken or the valve malfunctions, surgeons must open her back up to fix the issue. This is called a “shunt revision.” Hydrocephalus is not curable, only manageable, so she will always need the shunt working properly to survive.
Photo property of A Kitten Place
Be sure to follow Kitkat Playroom to see her progress! Thank you so much to them all and A Kitten Place for pulling them from the shelter. Support local animal rescue and adopt don’t shop!
