Bob-Kitten Needs A Surgery!

Bob the kitten (who answers to Bob-kitten) is a shelter kitten at Blount County Animal Center in Maryville, TN. He is bouncy and sweet, will sleep on anyone, and is a very good boy. Is he the best boy? Quite possibly.
Bob needs help, though. He has a condition called megaesophagus, caused by a deformity in his heart called “Persistent Right Aortic Arch,” or PRAA. Essentially, a small piece of muscle is tightened around his esophagus, transforming it from a wide tube into a painful funnel.
He has had a difficult time gaining any weight because food gets stuck in his throat and is regurgitated. He is now underweight, and has become so hungry that he is now prone to eating quickly and aspirating his food, presenting yet another danger.
We have designed the short term fix of feeding him a very small amount of “mush” every two hours, followed by holding him upright. This amount of nourishment cannot sustain an adult cat, though, and because of this, he is not guaranteed to see adulthood. Not without surgery to correct his PRAA. He is fortunate in that surgery is an option, but we are a small shelter, and cannot afford this treatment on our own. If anyone could toss a dollar Bob-kitten’s way, or suggest donating to anyone else who would like to save a life, it would be greatly appreciated. Let’s patch up our special little boy!

Donations will go directly to Smokey Mountain Animal Care Foundation, the HUGE-hearted nonprofit group behind our shelter.