Despite the pain he was clearly in, Mr. Pipp was affectionate. He purred, arched his back, and leaned into pets from the staff in our medical center. But he was clearly injured. The young tuxedo cat’s pelvis was fractured and his hind leg was injured. He walked extremely carefully on his back legs, feeling the pain with every step.

Soon after he arrived, Mr. Pipp was taken into surgery. Our medical team performed a Femoral Head and Neck Ostectomy, or FHO, which is used to restore pain-free mobility to animals with fractured pelvises like Mr. Pipp. The surgery went smoothly, and by the very next day, Mr. Pipp was already attempting to put weight on his back legs, though cautiously at first.

Mr. Pipp was confined to a smaller room to limit his activity while he healed. He was checked multiple times a day to see his progress, and just four days after surgery, was walking around almost normally on all four legs. We were ecstatic. He was improving well, eating regularly, and tolerating the pain medication that was helping his recovery. Things were looking up for this sweet boy.

A few weeks after surgery, Mr. Pipp’s improvement was stunning. “He is prancing around his room, standing up on rear limbs and leaning over to look out of his window,” read his medical notes that day after one of our veterinarians checked on him. It was time for Mr. Pipp to move to the next stage in his life.

Mr. Pipp, who was found to be social with other cats, was placed in our Sunshine Room with other social adult cats. He was almost completely healed and no longer needed exercise restrictions, which he took full advantage of. Mr. Pipp loved to scale cat trees, perch near windows, and show off all the movement he was now able to make pain-free. He became the official Sunshine Room Greeter, always the first to run up to people entering the room so that he could lean against their legs in search of attention. He became more and more comfortable, a little feisty, but still the same sweet boy our medical staff met so many weeks before.

Finally, after waiting for the perfect home, Mr. Pipp was adopted along with a kitten who would become his new companion. We are so grateful that we were able to be there for Mr. Pipp and provide him with the expert veterinary care he needed. Thank you for helping us save him and so many other animals who need us. Continue supporting our lifesaving efforts by making a donation today!