Calvin the Kijiji Kitten

Little Calvin, the sweet but broken 13 week old kitten was found by a kind-hearted animal lover being given away for free on Kijiji. Lucky for Calvin, he ended up in the hands of a small group of animal lovers that want to change Calvin’s life.

We were contacted by one of Calvin’s supporters and asked to share his story. This post reprints excerpts from the Calvin the Kitten Facebook page, to tell his story, along with a video feature broadcast Wednesday night by Global News, Toronto.

T.E.A.M. Dog Rescue, of Toronto ON, has taken responsibility for Calvin, getting him medical help for his injuries and fostering him. Calvin will be made available for adoption when he is healed.

TEAM Dog Rescue is taking this opportunity to speak out about the dangers to animals when they are given or sold through sites like Kijiji, Craigslist and Gumtree.

“looking for someone to take this black kitten he already has his first and second boosters.. however he injured himself i can’t pay the vet bills for the injury and was wondering if someone can take him for Free.”

This is the ad on Kijiji that was posted for Calvin, the 13-week old kitten. It was a compassionate animal lover involved in rescue that found this ad and reached out hoping that she was not too late to offer help, though not quite sure what she should be prepared to find. Many pets are given away, for free, on Kijiji and sadly, many do not necessarily end up in happy circumstances.

Fortunately for Calvin, he was surrendered to a group of compassionate rescuers. He was taken for immediate vetting at Beaches Animal Hospital and upon examination from their wonderful veterinary staff, it was discovered that this poor wee kitten had sustained serious injuries. Two severely broken femurs and a fractured rib. One thing was evident, this kitten was in pain, distress and needing expert care. Calvin was taken the very next day to see Dr. Devon Boyd at the Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic for a surgical consultation. It was determined that Calvin’s only chance is to have surgery, and time for his tiny, growing body was of the essence.

WHAT IS NEEDED? What Calvin needs is a surgery on both back legs to place bone plates and screws to fix these femural fractures. He will also undergo more x-rays when he is under to determine if any more serious damage would need to be fixed. Dr. Boyd is undoubtedly one of the most compassionate and expert surgeons to be working on Calvin’s case and his prognosis with surgery is very good! He should recover well and have full range of motion afterwards. Though his recovery will be long; he is young, undeniably sweet and in all other regards, a healthy kitten.

Calvin is in foster care right now until he heals. He is doing really well and exceeding expectations. Once he is fully healed, he will be put up for adoption.

TEAM Dog Rescue paid up front for Calvin’s surgery and medical care to ensure he got the treatment he needed as soon as possible. They are accepting donations to help defray the cost.

See how one wounded kitten led to an extraordinary act of kindness over the internet in this Global News report that features Calvin in his television debut, along with his foster mamma Larysa Struk, who is a Director of TEAM Dog Rescue.

You can follow Calvin’s healing journey at his Calvin the Kitten Facebook page.

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