Rescue Bunnies Help Kitten with Special Needs Get on His Feet and Start Adoption Journey
Canelo the kitten made it through his laser therapy sessions with a bit of help from the rescue rabbits at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
Canelo the kitten didn't wait for Easter to befriend a bunny.
The kitten with special needs recently arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, unable to control his back legs. Canelo still found ways to tumble and run using his front paws but couldn't support his weight with his back legs.
According to Best Friends Animal Society, veterinarians at the sanctuary examined the 6-week-old kitten. They didn't find any skeletal injuries or abnormalities, which led them to suspect neurological issues were affecting the muscles and nerves in Canelo's hind legs.
To encourage mobility in Canelo's growing legs, Best Friends' vets set the kitten up with weekly acupuncture appointments to stimulate his nervous system. After starting this treatment, the sanctuary determined that the kitten was incontinent.
With this new information, veterinarians added daily laser therapy to Canelo's schedule. These sessions were added to the cat's treatment plan to reduce inflammation and aid healing.
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Amy Brown, the supervisor of Best Friends' Bunny House, was trained to give Canelo laser therapy since the laser machine was located at the Bunny House and because Brown had been caring for Canelo.
So, each day, Canelo made a trip to the Bunny House, where he would spend most of his time trying to make friends with the long-eared locals. Overall, the rabbits welcomed the curious kitten and let him hop after them and play with their toys.
"I think they recognize that he has special needs," Brown said of the rabbit's reactions. "They aren't afraid of him."
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Along with laser therapy, Canelo got extra attention at the Bunny House. Volunteers, visitors, and staff regularly stopped by the Bunny House to interact with the animals and observe the kitten playing with his bunny buddies.
The rabbits also helped Canelo heal. The kitten's back legs grew stronger because of the laser therapy, acupuncture sessions, and active play dates with the rescue bunny pack.
Canelo can now stand up and take a few steps on all four paws. The kitten will always have some mobility and incontinence issues, but now he is stronger, more independent, and more confident. He is also much bigger.
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After spending weeks at the Bunny House, Canelo visited Cat World, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary's rescue cat habitat. Here, he met Llama, another kitten with similar medical needs. The two hit it off. Canelo is now learning about socialization from another cat instead of a bunch of rabbits.
Unlike the bunnies, Llama likes a bit of wrestling with a new friend. Both the kittens are now enjoying regular playdates together as they prepare to get adopted.
To learn more about fostering kittens and adopting bunnies, visit Best Friends Animal Society's website.
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