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Christmas 2014, Special Tails
Additional Info
About BASTIAN
THE ELEVENTH SAVE OF CHRISTMAS: BASTIAN
Bastian came to rescue as one of a fabulous three-some: Bastian, Bailey, and Bruiser, three strapping baby boys. That is, until we found out that one was in drag. Bruiser turned out to be Bamboozle, because he was a she.
When Bastian was not too old, he developed a problem which can be serious trouble if not handled quickly and carefully. Because he was so small, the treatment protocol was a challenge to the vets, and they had to make some guesses on how to care for him appropriately. What happened was he developed a blockage in his urinary tract that caused him to strain to urinate and when he did finally go, it was very little. This caused distention of his stomach due to an overfull bladder. What was necessary was a way to unblock the urethra and allow the urine to flow more easily before his bladder burst. A blockage like this occurs now and then in older cats, but poor little Bastian was only 4-5 weeks old and weighed less than two pounds! The vets had never had to treat a kitten this small for this issue.
The vets decided the best option for little Bastian was a short surgery to enlarge the opening, followed by a series of laser treatments to continue to break up the blockage. But because he was so small, they had no idea how long to treat him at each visit. The decision was made to treat him three times a week for three weeks; each laser session would last 10 seconds. Bastian ended up a favorite at the vet’s office, with everyone wanting to hold him and love him whenever he came in. Thus while the treatment itself lasted just a few seconds, the visits were longer so everyone on duty could comfort the little guy. It’s no wonder that he loves humans so much!
The treatment was successful, but as a precaution, Bastian was kept on a strictly wet food diet for a while to make sure he got enough liquid. Dry food could cause the issue to flare up again. Fortunately, he recovered completely and turned into a beautiful cat. It was hard to let him go to his forever home because we had put so much love, time and effort into his health, but he is thriving with his new family, and we couldn’t be happier.
Now Bastian shares his life with a lovely young couple, who came to Reno to fetch him and drive him all the way home to LA. He napped on his new Mom’s lap and was a perfect angel for that entire trip. In LA, he settled in immediately and has been the king of the castle ever since. When he outgrew his bed, which happened pretty quickly, his new people built him a teepee! He is great at making funny faces and still zips through the house when he’s excited, something he did constantly as a kitten. He talks to his humans and always wants to be close so he can ‘help’ them. In a recent update, they reported, “He is our joy!”
Most of the cats we get in rescue are healthy, but occasionally one like Bastian needs special medical attention. Thanks to the support of donors like you, we are able to get those kitties the medical attention they need. We extend our thanks to all of you for helping to make stories like this one possible.