Family adopts kitten—return her to shelter two days after bad news from vet

A resilient kitten has proven herself a true fighter after she was rushed to the ER and surrendered by her family in a matter of days.

Sally Skellington, just 10 months old, had been happily adopted for months when one day she unexpectedly lost the ability to move her legs.

Her family quicky took her to an emergency clinic, desperate for answers. But after two days without a definitive diagnosis, they made the difficult decision to surrender her back to Austin Pets Alive! (APA!), hoping the organization could help her.

“She was surrendered to the urgent medical needs for her paralysis,” a spokesperson for APA! told Newsweek. “She has suspected FIP and incontinence; she’s improving, so FIP symptoms should clear up if that’s what it is, incontinence could improve or not.”

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), is a severe and often fatal viral disease in cats caused by a mutation of the feline coronavirus (FCoV). While FIV can cause death in serious cases, APA! has been at the forefront of pioneering treatments for FIP, meaning that cats like Sally can get care for an illness that may otherwise have killed them.

Sally required extensive medical attention, including spending a week in the clinic, hospitalization, and ongoing treatment for neurological symptoms and incontinence.

Despite the fight, her prognosis is now looking positive, with her FIP symptoms expected to clear up after completing her current round of treatment in mid-April. She has begun regaining her strength and is even taking her first steps again.

Sally’s temperament remains nothing short of sweet and affectionate. Shelter staff describe her as a purring machine, so content that it was difficult to hear her heartbeat during exams.

“Her temperament is so sweet. In her shelter notes, they said she was purring during her exam so they couldn’t get a good listen of her heartbeat beat which is cute,” said APA!

Now as she continues to recover, Sally is looking for the perfect forever home. Her ideal family would be patient and understanding, giving her the time and space to rebuild her confidence and continue her recovery. Encouragingly, Sally has shown positive interactions with both cats and dogs.

She enjoys playing with neighboring cats through the cattery door and eagerly follows them around when given the chance. She also showed great excitement and playfulness when introduced to a dog, proving she’d love a furry friend in her new home.

Sally is currently being cared for at the APA! TLAC Cattery. Anyone interested in more information or meeting Sally should contact APA! at adopt@austinpetsalive.org.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.