Lieutenant Dan came to her foster mom’s house as part of a litter of six tiny babies. All of them were sweet, but the smallest one was obviously special.
She had a tiny, deformed tail, and two back legs that stuck out straight and didn’t work. This little ball of fluff started out with some big challenges ahead of her.
Her biggest challenge was obviously her inability to use her back end. But figuring out that “she” was a “she” turned out to be a pretty big stumbling block, too.
Lt. Dan has Manx Syndrome
The first vet said she was a boy and diagnosed her with Manx syndrome, also known as sacrocaudal dysgenesis or spina bifida. It’s a spinal malformation that means this sweet baby can’t use “his” back legs or go to the bathroom on “his” own.
That’s when this precious kitten was named Lieutenant Dan. The Forrest Gump litter also included her brothers Bubba and Forrest, and sisters Jenny, Mama, and Shrimp Boat.
Lieutenant Dan’s foster mom also had to learn how to manually express the kitten’s bladder and bowels. She had to do that several times a day.
“Fostering a disabled kitten who doesn’t have control over his bladder/bowels is not for the faint of heart,” said Ashley Saldana, who is @soccercatmom on Instagram, where she shares stories of fostering kittens from Hobart, Wash. “But I would not change anything… I love Lieutenant Dan so much!”
Then a second vet – a specialist for the Manx syndrome – said for sure she’s a girl. So her foster mom nicknamed her “Lieutenant Danielle” or “Dani” for short.
And that vet confirmed Lieutenant Dan would probably never be able to walk on her own. But the entire medical team was ready to do whatever it takes to make she sure has the best possible life.
They tried to manipulate the sweet baby’s legs to give her more movement. That’s when Lieutenant Dan had another setback.
Her tiny little legs became fractured and had to be bandaged. Then those bandages caused a pressure would on her teeny little foot. Her foster mom had to take her to the vet every other day to change bandages and check her healing.
Thankfully, that healing progressed well.
But with a special needs kitty, there’s always a new challenge! Lieutenant Dan had weekly appointments with the neurologist, physical therapy sessions at home a few times a day, and even a scare that required a trip to the pet emergency room.
Fortunately, that turned out to be just a UTI, or urinary tract infection, which is common among kitties with Manx syndrome.
So, Is Lieutenant Dan a Girl or a Boy Kitten?
And along the way, one of those vets discovered something shocking.
Lieutenant Danielle had testicles!
“We are back to not knowing if Lieutenant Dan is a boy or girl once again,” Ashley said. “His/her anatomy is not typical, so it’s been very difficult to say for sure either way!”
Preparing for her spay and neuter was confusing, to say the least. When the big day came, the medical team had another surprise for Lieutenant Dan’s foster mom.
The vet doing the surgery found no testicles!
So Lt. Dan is definitely and completely a girl. A girl with some odd anatomy, but a girl, for sure.
At less than half the weight and size of her siblings, Lieutenant Dan had figured out how to keep up with them. She dragged her little legs behind her as she played, cuddled, and even learned to climb.
She ran to her sister Jenny when she needed comfort.
Ashley describes Lieutenant Dan as outgoing and fearless.
“Watching her play brings me a joy I can’t even explain,” she said.
Lieutenant Dan even learned to “use the litterbox” in her own special way. After her foster mom hand expresses her waste into the box, she buries her potty and poo in the litterbox with a great sense of pride.
She has adapted to every challenge she has faced, with big courage in a tiny body and only two working legs.
Five of the six Forrest Gump kittens found their forever homes through adoption. But tiny little Lieutenant Dan stayed in her foster home to keep growing.
After her siblings got adopted, her foster mom got six more kittens. That means Lieutenant Dan figured out how to play with new friends! And she continues to heal and learn how to live life to the fullest.
Ashley is floored by Lieutenant Dan’s resilience.
“She shows us on a daily basis all she is capable of doing,” she said. “Her grit and termination is so inspiring!”
Photos property of Ashley Saldana (@soccercatmom).
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Source: coleandmarmalade.com