Little Guppy’s story may now have the happy ending it deserves. Along with his mama, Coral, and his many, many relatives, they were rescued from an overcrowded farm in British Columbia. It was after an investigation into the welfare of the animals found the property to be unacceptable. But when rescuers spotted Guppy and his twisted front legs, the possible effects of the inbreeding became all too apparent.
Now, Guppy and his miniature leg splints are winning hearts.
On their social media pages, the BC SPCA shared the heartbreaking photos of Guppy. His sad story is one of many across the world. But thankfully, their tale will have a new and healing chapter.
Your heart will melt when you see little Guppy with his legs in tiny splints. It’s hard not to want to scoop him up and promise everything will be okay. This brave kitten arrived with his six siblings and mum, Coral, from a property overwhelmed by a growing number of cats. Without spaying or neutering, Coral endured litter after litter until she and her family were brought into care. Poor Guppy was born with twisted front legs, making every step a struggle. He’s also a polydactyl kitty with extra toes like little mittens.
Former Farm Life
There are numerous Barn Cat programs in the world that are set up to help feral cats have a safe place to live. They are happy keeping their comfortable distance from humans. But that is not what was happening to Guppy and family per SPCA.BC.CA reports.
“The mother and kittens were found hiding in the garage on the property. The animal protection officer noticed a significant abnormality in the kitten’s legs right away, which required immediate veterinary care,” says Eileen Drever, senior officer protection, and stakeholder relations. “After the cats came into the animal centre, the kitten was brought to a veterinary clinic for an examination where they determined the issue with his legs was a congenital deformity, most likely caused by how he was positioned in the uterus.”
“All of the cats are the offspring of the same mother, which increases the possibility of inbreeding,” says Drever. “The adult cats have not been spayed or neutered, so the owners have become overwhelmed with litters of kittens. This particular mother has had over 30 kittens. Uncontrolled and unintentional breeding have become one of the top reasons animals are surrendered to the BC SPCA. “The owner is not breeding cats to sell, but simply because the adult cats have not been spayed or neutered, they are producing unwanted litters. It has become a significant issue,” says Drever. “It’s important for those welcoming a new cat to their home to know that cats can reach sexual maturity as early as four months of age.”
“Momma cat, who we named Coral, was clearly stressed when she came in, but warmed up once we started the intake assessment,” says Shannon Paille, manager, Kelowna animal centre. “She was very comfortable with us handling her babies who were vocal but friendly.”
Their Future May Be Uncertain, But It Will Be Filled With Love
After X-rays, the splints were applied to Guppy’s front two legs. Since he was only about 5 weeks old, there is a great chance his developing bones will be corrected.
Our hope is the splints will work, but we won’t know until he has another examination at the vet clinic. Guppy is so young, there is still some question about the development of the bone in one of the legs.” Paille adds Guppy is a very brave and determined kitten and does not let his splints hold him back from exploring his kennel. “He is working very hard to figure out how to move around with them,” she says.
Be sure to follow along for all the Guppy updates! The rest of the family will be put up for adoption soon, including mama Coral. I can’t imagine the relief she may feel now that she can simply be a kitten herself, following a lifetime of pregnancies. Thank you to everyone who helped this deserving family!
Photos Property of BCSPCA
