Her gaze is enough to make your blood run cold. Her eyes are wide open, pupils still dilated from the anaesthetic, her body stiff with fear. Mia, a kitten barely six months old, has no idea what is happening to her.
In the space of 24 hours, her world has been turned completely upside down. And now, the little creature is waking up from the anaesthetic of a major operation. Mia is alive. But what the vets and carers discovered is deeply shocking.
"The children didn't want her anymore"
Mia's ordeal began in a way that is sadly typical of our times: a click on the internet, a quick transaction. A family bought a kitten for their children from a classified ad. But 24 hours later, the 'living toy' no longer interested the little darlings.
Without a second thought, Mia was dropped off at the Herne-Wanne shelter in Germany. The family didn't even hesitate to give the real reason for abandoning her, openly and without any embarrassment: "In the end, the children didn't want a cat anymore." Mia was discarded like an item of clothing bought in the wrong size.
A shocking discovery
At the shelter, Mia initially hid herself away. She seemed fearful, taking refuge in her little den. The carers thought it was due to sadness or fear.
But when the kitten finally dared to come out for a walk, the experts immediately realised that something was very wrong. Mia was limping. Every step seemed to be absolute torture for her.
An immediate trip to the vet revealed the terrible truth. The X-ray looked like proof of immense pain: the head of Mia's femur (the thigh bone) was shattered.
This diagnosis meant that the little animal had been suffering from excruciating pain all this time. The cause, whether an accident or neglect, remains the dark secret of her short past.
There was no other choice: to allow Mia to live without chronic pain, the fractured bone had to be removed (a femoral head ostectomy). The operation went well, but the road to recovery is still long.
While Mia, still under the effects of the anaesthetic, faces an uncertain future, the shelter must cover the high costs of her rescue. It is appealing to the public for help, so that Mia's nightmare can finally turn into a happy life.
