Baby Button came into Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Rescue with severe Flat-Chested Kitten Syndrome, where the kitten’s chest is compressed and the lungs collapse. He also had pectus excavatum, where the ribs go inwards instead of outwards. Even at a young age, he showed a surprisingly great determination to survive, and his breeder asked Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat rescue if we could help, knowing that we will do everything possible to help a cat if there is a chance of recovery. He came into foster with his mother, Rosie, as we hoped having his mother nearby would help him survive.

Very sadly, Rosie rejected him, and he survived only by being hand-fed.

Luckily, the fosterers’ resident cat SuperJack was on hand to give Baby Button some cuddles.

Strawberry fosterers took Baby Button for consultation with a specialist vet and funded surgery to correct his pectus excavatum. Despite being in a chest cast during his recovery, he had to be put into a pen to stop him from trying to run around and play – he was absolutely full of life!

Unfortunately, it became clear that not only did he have chest problems, he also had bowel issues and Strawberry funded veterinary investigation and attempts at treatment. It has not been possible to fix this, and his fosterers have had to resign themselves to living with his droppings. But when he looks up at them with his beautiful big blue eyes, it’s hard to stay annoyed!

Baby Button’s siblings and cousins came into Strawberry for rehoming shortly after Baby Button and his mum, and as they grew, it was incredible to see how tiny Baby Button remained – above is a photo of him with his sister, from his litter, and below is a photo of him with his sister Cotton, who mothered him after their mother rejected him.

 

He was no less energetic than his larger relatives, happily playing with them and bonding especially with little Cami, a Chinchilla Persian kitten also at Strawberry who had been extremely small and needed extra care.

Baby Button is incredibly loving and lively, teaching himself to play fetch…

…and completely trashing Christmas trees with his buddy Cami.

He has a huge zest for life. Kittens with pectus excavatum often survive only to about 12 months, and then, due to the damage caused to their lungs and heart from being so compressed, drop dead.

Baby Button made it past this point, but then started having ‘off-days’ and had to be admitted to intensive care at the vets.

He had stopped growing again, had problems swallowing and was unable to meow or purr any longer. His Strawberry carers suspected he had suffered damage to his chest, and were advised that an MRI scan of his thorax would show if there is anything that can be done to improve his health and wellbeing. This cost £2,300, plus travel to the specialist vet.

 

With endoscopy and x-rays, the costs rocketed to £4,000.

It turned out that he had very infected tonsils. Antibiotics failed to cure him and so he had to have another operation to remove his tonsils. His vet costs ran into the tens of thousands in total – for the consultations and operation on his chest, investigations and attempts at treating his bowel, stays in intensive care at the vet, the investigation into his throat and chest and tonsil removal.

He’s doing well these days, but may never be completely clear of health issues, and lives with the other long-term ‘poorlies’  – cats who need extra care and may never be suitable for being adopted.

Baby Button (renamed Junior by his fosterers, as he was no longer a baby) is now a dearly loved resident cat at the main Strawberry fosterers’.

Thanks to our supporters, we were able to save him, when no other rescue would. As long as we have funds, we will continue to help cats that have nowhere else to turn to. But we are running very, very low, and the next ‘Baby Button’ may never get a chance at life.

If you can donate – however small the amount – you can help us keep going for the cats and kittens that so desperately need our help. Use this link or the one above to go to our Go Fund Me pages, or PayPal (see link at top right of the website page), or contact our vets directly (during working hours) on 01684 573333 and explain that you would like to make a payment towards the Strawberry Pedigree Rescue bill. Thank you!