On January 3rd, 5 two-day old Maine Coon kittens were surrendered to our local animal shelter after being rejected by their mom. We took them in and bottle fed them around the clock. As they grew, it became clear that they weren't like other kittens.

By the time they reached two months old, two of them had passed. One from a congenital abnormality and she passed after being sedated for x-rays. The other had unexplained anemia and an enlarged heart. Even with a blood transfusion and oxygen support, he also passed.

Of the 3 remaining kittens, we noticed that two of them were struggling to walk. Because their siblings had passed so suddenly and because they would need to be sedated for x-rays, we waited until they weighed three pounds before we had them examined by an orthopedic surgeon to get a diagnosis.

Gretchen Wieners and Jenny have congenital medial patellar luxation. Gretchen has it on her right hind limb and Jenny has it on both back legs. As a result, Gretchen's tibia is curved and Jenny hops like a bunny to get around.

While there may be a surgical option to correct their legs, Gretchen and Jenny are still growing so the surgeon wants to hold off on coming up with a surgical plan until they are at least 6 months old. This will allow their bones to be a little stronger and give them a better chance of success. Even after their surgeries, they will have to be cage restricted for several weeks to make sure that the correction keeps. Since Jenny needs surgery on both back legs, she will have surgery on one leg at a time and will need to rest in between so she may require cage rest for up to 3 months.

Despite it all, the kittens are magnificent. They are majestic with enormous ears and sweet demeanors. Due to their health, they've been in our care for a very long time and we've watched them blossom from tiny little kittens to 5 month-olds with very distinct personalities. Jenny and her sister Dalgi are extremely bonded. Gretchen is bonded with a 4 month-old tabby named Chestnut.

Help Jenny and Gretchen Wieners walk!

By MEOW PARLOUR CATS INC

Help Jenny and Gretchen Wieners walk!