Vet rescues tangled kittens

While these four kittens turned out not to be conjoined, they were stuck together by their entangled umbilical cords. Dr. Don Kelley, a veterinarian with Ark Animal Hospital, was able to successfully free the kittens Tuesday.

By: By DEBORAH BUCKHALTER Floridan Staff Writer | Jackson County Floridan
Published: March 31, 2010

The four kittens that Mary Heath thought were conjoined at birth turned out to be in a different kind of pickle instead.
On Tuesday, Heath put out a plea seeking assistance for the offspring of a stray cat that had been in her neighborhood for months. She believed the four kittens were joined at one back foot, at the least.
On hearing of the kittens’ dilemma Tuesday, Ark Animal Hospital veterinarian Dr. Don Kelly, of Marianna, called Heath and said he’d like to see if he could help.
By noon, the kittens, now separated, were back home with their mother.
Kelly discovered that, as he had suspected, the kittens were not really conjoined. But they were hopelessly tangled together by their umbilical cords. Because the cord has completely wrapped up their feet, Heath thought they were conjoined.
Kelly separated them from the umbilical cords, thus separating them from each other. They should live out their lives as any other normal cat.
Heath said she was grateful for Kelly’s help, adding that he charged nothing to do the work.
Kelly said he was amazed the kittens were able to maneuver well enough to nurse and stay alive long enough to be rescued.
Normally, a mother kitten will sever the umbilical cords herself. But in this case, for whatever reason, she didn’t. Kelly said he’s seen similar cases a half-dozen times or so in his career.
The umbilical cords would have fallen off on their own in a couple of weeks, but without help the kittens would have been at risk of starvation or ill health.
Heath continues to hope that she’ll find good homes for the foursome. She said she’ll do her best to raise them herself, if that doesn’t happen, but it will be a struggle she’d rather not tackle if another loving home opens up.
She can be reached at 272-2143.