Xena the Warrior Kitten, Catmandu’s Feline of the week, is a tiny slip of a one-eyed long-haired kitten who is truly a miracle. It would be the best gift ever to have her find a forever home this Christmas season.
She was found the first part of November by the recently formed Battle Mountain TNR rescue group at a local colony. About 4 or 5 weeks old, she was cold, alone and very sick. She had a horrifically infected and bulging eye and was very weak.
They took her to a vet in Elko who removed the eye and sent her home to the foster mom. Unfortunately, the raging infection in the now-empty eye socket caused the sutures to rupture within a few days and Xena continued going downhill. The vet was no help. Their solution was to make her wait several days for an appointment and then just staple the eye closed. It was not an acceptable solution.
Desperate to save her life, the rescue contacted Catmandu. Although we don’t generally take kittens, we were her only hope and jumped in to help. Four different rescues coordinated a relay to get her from Battle Mountain to Carson City. Battle Mountain TNR took her to Winnemucca, Love of PACC got her to Lovelock, and LoCat TNR brought her the rest of the way to Catmandu.
When she arrived, she was sick, matted, emaciated, dehydrated, running a fever, and would not eat.
Dr Sean with All Creatures whisked her away to their hospital. They thoroughly cleaned the eye, removed infected tissue, gave her fluids and started her on antibiotics. Linda M, a friend of Catmandu and former vet, took her home the next day as a foster kitten.
With antibiotics and daily care, the eye slowly improved. While Xena would lick formula from a bottle, she refused to eat solid food. It was a battle, but the foster mom eventually won. Xena started eating solid food and putting on weight, and she finally learned how to use a litter box. She has been eating like crazy with perfect litterbox manners ever since.
Now healthy, Xena has adjusted to life as a one-eyed kitten. Her good eye has some residual cloudiness that will likely decrease over time. She sees and gets around just fine, thank you very much. She is a full-tilt, fun little girl that loves to run, jump, play, and snuggle.
She likes to ride on shoulders and is a sweet little purring bundle when she is not playing at full speed. She loves cat-friendly dogs and would likely do well with a friendly cat. People are definitely her favorite though.
Xena would love to get in a home of her own. About 9 weeks old, she needs to be a foster-to-adopt. She needs to come to Catmandu for the rest of her vaccines, as well as to get spayed and have regular check-ups for the next couple of months. Consequently, her new family must live in the Carson City area.
If you are interested in meeting our sweet little miracle warrior kitten, please complete a pre-adoption application on our website at CatmanduCC.org/adoptions. We will need to arrange for you to meet her since she is still with her foster mom in Gardnerville.
Catmandu has several other wonderful cats still hoping for a home for the holidays. If you would like to meet them, please plan to visit this weekend at Catmandu, 1829 Brown Street. Potential adopters are welcome Friday through Sunday from 11am to 4 pm. Plan to arrive no later than 3 pm so you have plenty of time to spend with the cats before adoptions close.
Catmandu is a cage-free cat sanctuary and rescue that is celebrating a decade of lifesaving in 2024. Since March of 2014, more than 2700 cats have passed through our doors and into a better life. Many, many other cats and kittens have been helped over the years through our various programs and efforts.
Catmandu is a non-profit organization that receives no government funding or assistance from national organizations. We rely on donations and the generosity of the community to continue our lifesaving efforts. If you are interested in donating or volunteering, please visit our website at CatmanduCC.org. Meow means thank you.
