Kitten with deformity named Guppy surrendered to BC SPCA

Guppy, a five-week-old kitten, is seen in this image handed out by the BC SPCA.

Staff at the BC SPCA rescued a mother cat and her six kittens from a property in Kelowna last week, including a tiny boy named Guppy with a deformity in his front legs.

The owner, who had become overwhelmed with litters of kittens, surrendered the cats on Sept. 8 after an animal protection investigation, according to the organization.

“The mother and kittens were found hiding in the garage on the property. The animal protection officer noticed a significant abnormality in the kitten’s legs right away, which required immediate veterinary care,” Eileen Drever with the BC SPCA said in a media release Thursday.

“After the cats came into the animal centre, the kitten was brought to a veterinary clinic for an examination where they determined the issue with his legs was a congenital deformity, most likely caused by how he was positioned in the uterus.”

The other five kittens, all five-weeks old, are in good health, but Guppy will need more care and vets placed splints on his legs to help straighten them, the BC SPCA said.

“We are doing everything possible to help this kitten, but the long-term prognosis is still unknown. Our hope is the splints will work, but we won’t know until he has another examination at the vet clinic. Guppy is so young, there is still some question about the development of the bone in one of the legs,” said Shannon Paille, manager of the Kelowna animal centre, in the release.

She added that Guppy is a “brave and determined” kitten and “working very hard” to explore his kennel despite the splints.

The kittens’ mother, Coral, has given birth to more than 30 kittens, according to the charity. It said there are more adult cats on the property, all her offspring, who have not been spayed or neutered. They will also be taken in by the BC SPCA.

The organization says uncontrolled and unintentional breeding is one of the top reasons animals are eventually surrendered.

“The owner is not breeding cats to sell, but simply because the adult cats have not been spayed or neutered, they are producing unwanted litters. It has become a significant issue,” Drever said.

The BC SPCA described the kittens as “vocal but friendly” and Coral as a “great mom.”

“They are just a lovely, friendly family” Paille said.

Coral and the kittens will be available for adoption in three-to-four weeks.