Upcoming kitten surgeries put financial toll on Taranaki-based animal charity

Kittens Foxie and Wolfe both have hernias that need repair, while Foxie also needs her eye cleaning up and the lid closed permanently after an untreated eye infection caused tissue damage.

A Taranaki-based animal charity is seeking help with upcoming surgery costs for two kittens in its care.

Karma Andrews, a trustee of The Scratching Post, said the kittens came into the group’s care after they were found by a landlord.

“A homeowner discovered them at their rental property. The tenants had moved out and left a cat behind who was living under the house.”

Once the homeowner befriended the female cat, it didn’t take long before she showed them two kittens she had with her, said Andrews.

Once the kittens were in the care of Scratching Post volunteers, they were named Foxie and Wolfe and were taken for a vet health check.

The check-up revealed both kittens have hernias needing repair and Foxie is also in need of some eye surgery, said Andrews.

“Her brother Wolfe needs a hernia repair, as does Foxie, but Foxie also has damage to one of her eyes. Minor scarring on her good eye would suggest an untreated infection when she was younger has ruptured her eyeball which has since disintegrated.”

Andrews said surgery would clean up the tissue in the eye socket, and the vet would then close the lid to avoid further infection in the future.

The surgeries have a combined cost of $500 and are booked in for May 1. The kittens will then be looking for permanent homes, Andrews said.

“Once Foxie and Wolfe have fully recovered they’ll be ready for adoption. It’s a little too early to tell yet if they need to stay together or be rehomed separately. Some siblings hold a strong bond but others prefer their independence.”

Before then, the two kittens are happily settled in a foster home where they are getting up to all sorts of “kitten mischief,” said Andrews.

As for the mother cat, she’s already found her happy ending after the property owners who discovered her decided to keep her.

Andrews said while the surgery is booked for Foxie and Wolfe, the charitable trust would appreciate any donations towards the cost of the procedures. People can also visit and view the other kittens currently waiting to be adopted.

The Scratching Post at 127 Broadway, Stratford, is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 10am-2pm. Otherwise, phone 027 292 6167.

Ilona Hanne is a Taranaki-based journalist and news director who covers breaking and community news from across the region. She has worked for NZME since 2011.