Clinic Chronicles: Hopper’s Journey

Aug 4

**A Kitten Who Needed** More Than TNR

Hopper should have been chasing toys. Instead, the seven-week-old male arrived at Street Cat Hub through a TNR project in Portales. His back leg was badly injured.
Lexi remembered the shock: “His leg was so injured! His foot was hanging on by a scab.”
Her words are hard to read, but show why this trapping project mattered. Without it, Hopper’s injury might have remained hidden until it was too late.

**The Injury** Could Not Wait

Matt remembered Dr. Vigil assessed Hopper and found his leg necrotic, meaning the tissue had died. It was very infected and swollen. The leg could not heal, and leaving it would allow his pain and infection to continue.
Amputation was the kindest option. Removing a kitten’s leg is never an easy decision. For Hopper, it offered relief and a chance to heal. He was also neutered, preventing future litters.

Warmth, Comfort, and Gentle Hands

Our clinic team stayed with Hopper through surgery and recovery. They managed his pain, monitored him closely, and kept his body warm with a heating pad, heat disks, rice warmies, and blankets..

Warmth matters for young kittens recovering from anesthesia because they can lose body heat quickly. For the team, though, this was also about comfort. Hopper woke with three legs, but he woke clean, warm, protected, and surrounded by people who cared about what happened to him.