I foster kittens from the Lakeshore Humane Society in Manitowoc, WI. On August 21, 2024, a 3-week-old bottle-fed kitten named Amelia Bedelia came into our foster home. It was clear after a short time that she had a cleft palate (which was confirmed with the shelter vet) because she would sneeze formula out of her nose at every feeding. Unfortunately, being that she was so young and underweight, she would have to wait until she was older to be a candidate for surgery. Amelia has a small hole in the top of her mouth on her soft palate, so as she swallows, a small amount of food enters the hole and comes out of her nose. This makes it difficult for her to get the nutrition she needs. I tried to do research online about her condition but was unable to find much information because most kittens with cleft palates don't live long enough to receive the needed surgery. I refuse to give up on this sweet girl and, with the help of the Lakeshore Humane Society, am doing everything I can to give her the best life possible!

While waiting for her to be big enough for surgery, I fed her slowly with a longer miracle nipple and syringe. Because she often had food going up into her nasal cavity, Amelia has had a number of upper respiratory infections. She was treated with antibiotics as well as nebulizer treatments that I gave her at home.

When it came time to wean her off of formula, I transitioned her to prescription wet food (to help her gain weight) mixed with water and continued feeding her with a syringe and nipple. Every single time she's fed, everything is covered in food snot!

In January, a local vet performed cleft palate repair surgery. Unfortunately, the same night of her surgery, she sneezed out the sutures from the repair. I was devastated! Throughout the next few weeks, she was examined by the vet that did the surgery and allowed to heal.

Unfortunately, the vet doesn't feel comfortable attempting another surgery, so I was faced with a decision. In order for Amelia to receive the care she desperately needs, she needed to see a specialist. Because she stole my heart, I decided to adopt her and have her seen by a specialist at BluePearl in Appleton.

She had her first consultation with a surgeon on March 19, 2025. Even though she weighs just over 4 pounds at nearly 8 months old, she's healthy and he feels confident performing her cleft palate surgery!

As with any surgery, this is not going to be a cheap procedure. She may need a feeding tube placed after surgery and possibly more surgeries in the future. However, without this procedure, Amelia's future doesn't look good.

It took me a long time to decide to ask for donations towards Amelia's surgery because asking for help isn't something I normally do. However, I don't know where else to turn.

I know she will thrive after this procedure and she will have the best life here in our home! She's still being fed with a longer miracle nipple and syringe and likely will be until after her surgery, which will be done in April (date yet to be determined). I couldn't imagine a world without Amelia in it!

She's so sweet and has integrated into our home seamlessly! Please consider donating to this cause so Amelia Bedelia can have this life-saving surgery. I just want to take opportunity to thank you in advance for taking the time to read Amelia's story and take part in her journey forward by donating to her cause! ❤️