UPDATE: Sadly, Greyjoy passed away suddenly in November 2021.
When Frida learned Greyjoy, an adorable kitten with incontinence and hind leg paralysis, was looking for a foster home, she wanted to help the young special needs cat.
“A very sweet couple found him in their backyard,” explains Frida, “and although they had quickly fallen in love with him, they were not equipped to care for a special needs kitten.”
However, while Frida had plenty of experience caring for incontinent and paralyzed felines — thanks to her cat Lt. Dan and her foster cat Dottie — she wasn’t in a position to care for Greyjoy when he learned about him in June 2021.
“I was not able to take him myself because of my work schedule, so I found another volunteer named Alan who stepped up to help,” says Frida. “Alan had the time and space, and I had the experience with paraplegic kittens, so we knew that with our powers combined we could give Greyjoy the love and care he needed.”
When Alan and Frida started co-fostering Greyjoy, he was approximately two months old and had already suffered broken ribs and a herniated diaphragm. “When he was first found and taken to the vet, it was discovered that he had some internal injuries,” explains Frida, “so it is possible that his paralysis was caused by an injury.”
In addition to his internal injuries, the adorable grey kitten also had some serious external wounds that he had sustained to his lower body. “The biggest challenge little Greyjoy and I faced together was dealing with some really nasty sores that had formed on his legs and bottom from soiling himself and scooting around on the dirty ground,” remembers Frida.
Not only did Greyjoy’s wounds have to be thoroughly cleaned every day, the young feline needed to be confined until they healed, preventing him from being able to play and explore like a typical kitten.
Thankfully, both his internal and external injuries eventually healed, and by August 2021, Frida’s work schedule finally allowed Greyjoy to spend a few weeks at her home. “This was a great experience for him since he got to meet and co-exist with our boy Dan and our other paraplegic foster kitty Dottie,” says Frida.
While people often assume paralyzed cats need carts and wheelchairs to get around, that hadn’t been Frida’s experience with Lt. Dan or Dottie, and she quickly discovered it wasn’t the case with Greyjoy either. “They zoom around like little race cars, chasing each other all around our home,” says Frida.
She’s also found a lot of people believe paralyzed and incontinent felines are incapable of having happy and active lives, causing cats like Greyjoy, Lt. Dan, and Dottie to be needlessly euthanized. However, Frida thinks with proper care, which often includes bladder and bowel expression, cats with incontinence and hind leg paralysis can thrive.
“There are countless special needs cats living happy lives all around the world,” says Frida. “As long as we as animal advocates are willing to make the necessary accommodations these cats require, euthanasia does not have to be an option.”
After all, while Greyjoy’s bladder has to be expressed three to four times a day, this care only takes approximately 15 minutes, and the rest of the time, he sleeps, eats, and plays like any other young cat! “His favorite toys are these little wool balls that were sent to us by another special kitty, Dumpling,” explains Frida. “He is a huge cuddlebug and loves to just be held and loved on for hours. He gives the best little kisses too!”
In addition to snuggling with people, Greyjoy loves being around other animals, so Frida would like for him to find a forever home where he will have feline or canine companions to keep him company. Ideally, Frida would also like Greyjoy’s adopter to be someone who either works from home or is able to return home every few hours, as this special boy needs to have his bladder expressed at regular intervals. “I would love for him to go to a home with multiple family members who can share the responsibilities of his bathroom routine,” says Frida.
While Frida knows not everyone will be able to provide Greyjoy with this level of time and attention, she believes he and other paralyzed and incontinent cats are definitely worth the extra effort and care they need to thrive. “The joy and gratification that these sweet kitties bring to our lives every day is worth so much more to us than those 15 minutes,” says Frida.
Since the day he was rescued in June 2021, Greyjoy has made a big impression on everyone he’s met, including the couple who discovered him in their backyard when he was just five weeks old. “I know it was so hard for them to pass him on to us,” says Frida, “but they are expecting their first baby, so adopting a special needs kitten was, understandably, not a realistic option for them.”
However, since the day Greyjoy’s rescuers tearfully turned him over to Frida and Alan, they have donated money, diapers, and other supplies to help guarantee this handsome boy never wants for anything. “They love him so much,” says Frida, adding, “Greyjoy means so much to so many of us!”
To learn more about this adorable kitten, you can follow Greyjoy on Instagram.
If you’re interested in adopting Greyjoy, you can send Frida a direct message on Instagram.
