Spotlight – Aspen






Update December 11, 2024: Great news! Aspen is doing so well! After the lack of success with the surgery his amazing foster kept with the normal routine of liquid slurry, feeding in a more upright position and STRICT adherence to no solid foods of any kind. We pursued an option with a local specialist to do a ballooning procedure that could stretch the esophagus, allowing for Aspen to better handle more solid foods. We had a plan in place to do the procedure but the specialist was unable to secure a scope small enough for Aspen and referred us back to Auburn’s vet school. After reviewing his records Auburn felt that the procedure posed too much risk with a lower probability of achieving the results we needed. As you can imagine we felt a bit defeated. But then, through admittedly accidental trial and error, we realized something amazing. Aspen, as he matured and grew, showed he did not need to be upright to eat AND did not choke on smaller amounts of solid food (he is a stinker and seems to find a way to suck up any random drop of kibble!). His primary vet at Alford Avenue Veterinary Hospital reran some tests and we realized he was better able to handle eating and tolerating smaller amounts of softened kibble WITH NO ISSUES! Aspen would always do better with a wet food diet but other than that is a normal, happy, healthy kitten!
Update October 1, 2024: Our little Aspen is a trooper! He made it through surgery with flying colors! Unfortunately, the defect they were expecting to find was not there and no surgical correction could be made at this time. Despite everyone’s best efforts, we are back to the drawing board with this little guy. Aspen is in good spirits and recovering well. We will be consulting with his veterinary team over the next few weeks to determine next steps. We are still hoping for help to cover his mounting vet bills.
September 18, 2024: ASPEN NEEDS YOUR HELP! Aspen has a fearless heart and a thirst for adventure. This energetic little guy is always on a mission, whether he’s climbing to new heights, darting after his favorite toys, or wrestling with his foster friends. His curiosity knows no bounds, and he is ready to turn every day into an exciting journey. After his adventures, he loves a good snuggle and to curl up for a cozy nap.
During the weaning process, it was discovered Aspen has trouble swallowing solid food. He has done well with syringe feeding and being held upright after feeding. His local vet referred him to Auburn University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, where he underwent diagnostic tests including a swallow study. He has been diagnosed with an esophageal defect and is scheduled to return to Auburn for corrective surgery September 25-27, 2024.
All along, his vets have been concerned about aspiration pneumonia since his esophagus is so restricted. Unfortunately, our fears were realized and he was admitted to the ER the evening of September 10. He is bouncing back and is expected to recover in time for his surgery.
So far, Aspens Costs are as follows:
Primary Vet (Alford Avenue Veterinary Hospital): $765
Additional Diagnostics (Auburn University Veterinary Teaching Hospital): $447
Emergency Room (Steel City Emergency Vets): $737
Estimated Cost of Surgery (Auburn University Veterinary Teaching Hospital): $3,500-$4,500
This sweet boy is so worth saving. He’s only 10 weeks old and has his whole life ahead of him. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated and will help us continue our rescue efforts!
If you can donate, please do so either through Venmo or Paypal (see links in the Donate section below). You can also mail a check or drop off cash during business hours at our physical address 3432 Old Columbiana Road, Hoover, Alabama 35226
DONATE! Every Dollar Makes a Difference
Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue has adopted out more than 5,000 cats since we opened in October 2016. We are a no-kill, cage-free cat sanctuary for rescued cats and kittens.
At the Haven we go thru approximately 100 lbs of dry food – 10 cases of wet food – 10 pails of litter every week. Even more costly are our vet bills. The health and well-being of the cats and kittens in our care is paramount to us. During the height of kitten season (summer months) our vet bills can soar as high as $8,000 to $10,000 a month!
We are a non-profit and depend solely upon volunteers and donations to feed and care for the animals awaiting adoption into forever homes. No one is paid! All donations go to support the cats only.
Each year approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized, about 860,000 of them are cats.
Help us do our part to make a difference! If you would like to make your contribution automated on a monthly basis please select the “Other” amount Donate button and select to make monthly.
- $10
- $25
- $50
- $75
- $100
- $250
- Other
We now also support donations and payments using Venmo!
In addition to monetary donations, donations of supplies is always welcome!