Pip Gets a New Chance at the Good Life at Tenth Life

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By Karen Harrison Binette

Pip is a sweet special needs kitten with deformed front legs who began his journey in Kearney, NE. Facebook networking among well known special needs cat pages brought Pip to Tenth Life Cat Rescue, in St. Louis, MO, where he is today.

Pip’s story gets a new beginning at Tenth Life Cat Rescue in St. Louis, MO, but he was born in Kearney, NE with collapsed-looking wrongly bent front legs that put one in mind of Corky before his surgery.

Pip was helped by a woman named Crystena who made the crucial step in networking on his behalf when she reached out to the Facebook fan page of Oskar the Blind Cat. Oscar’s people reached CATS Cradle through Corky‘s Facebook fan page. From there, CATS Cradle contacted Tenth Life Cat Rescue, which is highly regarded and well known for helping kittens with special circumstances. You may recall our posts on Tenth Life and the co-called Trash Bag Kittens.

 

Tenth Life Executive Director Elizabeth Frick said this about Pip,  “CATS Cradle, the people who care for Corky, alerted us to Pip’s needs, and we couldn’t resist taking him in! I’m thrilled that the kind people at Leggings for Life are making him little socks to protect his elbows, since the surgeons say it’s best to wait on any surgical correction. He’s positively adorable, and we’re smitten with him.

“Pip came to us from Kearney, NE in May, thanks to volunteers  Anne Meyer and Jennifer Master who split the long journey. I was overwhelmed with the positive response from our supporters: we had donations for gas money raised within 10 minutes of asking for it!

“Other than a belly full of worms, Pip was very healthy when he arrived. We had Pip examined by our veterinarians at the St. Louis Cat Clinic , and I sent his x-rays to Dr. James Cook at the University of Missouri in Columbia (Mizzou). His credits are as follows:James L. Cook, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR, William & Kathryn Allen Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery, Director, Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory, University of Missouri

“Dr. Cook looked at Pip’s radiographs and confidently recommended that we wait on any corrective surgery until Pip grows more. In the meantime,  Leggings for Life is sending him little socks to wear to protect his little joints from getting rubbed raw.

“He plays like a normal kitten, runs about on his front elbows, tries to engage other kitties in play, and purrs like a madman when petted and snuggled. And possibly the best part… his hind feet have extra toes!!!

“He’s an amazing little cat – very sweet-tempered and loves every other cat he’s met. He eagerly greets new friends and, when growled/hissed at by an elder, he rolls onto his back and assumes a submissive position. Pip is so playful and frisky; it is clear that his disability does not impeded his fun at all! We’ve already had multiple people express interest in adopting him, but he is too young for that.”

 A tidbit about Pip: when exploring, he’ll stand on his hind legs, prairie dog style, and look around. In this photo, he’s playing, but it shows you how excruciatingly adorable he is when he stands on two legs.

This adorably cute and appealingly photgenic little cat is obviously a charmer, and will surely have a good life from now on, whatever the best options for dealing with his condition may be.  He already seems to be doing well, despite his deformity. We will follow Pip’s progress and share it here, beginning soon with some video footage that is still being edited. We look forward to the day when we can show you Pip getting around in his Leggings for Life, but know that they specially knitted leg warmers can take some time to make, and there may be a waiting list for them now.

For contrast, and to show how important is was that Pip get help and special care, here is Pip’s before photo, the one that was shown around as Crystena sought to get Pip the better life he deserved.

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 Tenth Life Cat Rescue saves stray cats & kittens in the St. Louis area, giving priority to those with special needs or medical conditions. They save cats from the dangers of street life and place them in foster homes until they are adopted, while networking with other local rescues and veterinarians to locate and treat special needs and other stray cats who would otherwise be euthanized. Tenth Life also takes kittens from other areas, under special conditions.

You can follow them on Facebook and at Twitter: @tenthlifecats.

Pip’s incredible photos were taken by David Carlyon of Darkwood Studio.

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4 thoughts on “Pip Gets a New Chance at the Good Life at Tenth Life”

  1. Oh My, what a doll! Looks like 6 toes on each back foot! Ir appears he knows no boundaries. Thank you for taking him and giving him a chance to grow up and be loved and give love!

  2. Such a delightful little kitten! Love his pretty little face…so full of life! Bless you all for the wonderful care you give your kitties… 🙂

  3. My message refers to Pip by the way, but is posted way below all the other messages…

  4. SO CUTE!!!!!!!!! If no one had told me about his feet i would have gotten him and adopted him anyway! And at strange folk in o’fallon IL there was a tenth life booth and I spent hours playing with the cats and kittens plus i bought a shirt

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