As parents, we know that young children must be supervised at all times. They are not responsible enough to make decisions on their own. This is especially true when animals are involved. But accidents do happen, and this story focuses on that. A stray kitten, later named Pookie, endured a painful, heartbreaking experience when she was held by a three-year-old boy. The child, overzealous and unknowingly ‘too loving,’ hugged the kitten tightly, causing grave damage. Once discovered, the parents were desperate to get the stray kitten the help she needed.
The family reached out to the Texas Cat Coalition, asking for assistance. The boy’s mom told rescuers that the kitten had stopped breathing. Upon picking the kitten up, they administered CPR after prying her mouth open. The toddler had also broken her jaw. Thankfully, they were able to revive Pookie. After bringing her back to the rescue center and seeing her injuries, they were unsure if she would survive the night. The poor baby was weak and couldn’t hold her head up. She had a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which was caused by the toddler’s tight squeeze, cutting off the oxygen supply to her brain.
The kitten was soon rushed to the vet. She was put on oxygen and had to be tube-fed. She still couldn’t move. Pookie’s rescuers were devastated. For four days, the kitten just laid there until her tiny eyes began twitching, signaling seizure activity. This was likely due to brain swelling. But the tenacious kitty was not giving up the good fight.
A week later, Pookie regained consciousness and even stood up with some assistance. A few days later, she figured out how to walk on her own. Pookie’s biggest victory came when she began eating on her own. Her rescuers were elated!
Pookie made a full recovery thanks to humans who never gave up on her! The kitten’s fighting spirit prevailed in the end. The lesson here: Small children need to be supervised at all times. As a parent, it’s never too early to teach kids how to behave around animals. We are so relieved that Pookie is thriving despite her harrowing ordeal.