Kitten Clenched In Dog’s Mouth Saved By Hawaiian Heroes Bouncing Back From Severe Spinal Injury

Alex Lemieux

Sep 9, 2022 6:00 PM EDT

When life-threatening trouble abounds, ordinary people transform into shining beacons of heroic spirit. Many may remark such instances are "all in a day's work" or "doing was is right," but there's no denying that dedication to a small feline life in need proves that more individuals are willing to answer the call.

In May, a stray dog sprinted down the street in Pearl City on Hawaii's O'ahu Island. While a pooch pumping his legs for a session of zoomies is nothing out of the ordinary, a passerby noticed something terrible: another four-legged friend in his mouth.

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via Clowder House Feline Rescue

Seeing a tiny kitten thrashed in the mouth of the canine, a good Samaritan dashed through the busy streets to chase the dog down and coax her to drop the kitten. Immediately, the kitten was rushed to VCA Family and Oahu Veterinary Specialty Center, where Dr. Nathaniel Lam diagnosed the kitten's condition as a non-surgical fracture of her spine's L3 vertebrae.
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via Clowder House Feline Rescue

Although her body was overcome by the dog's powerful jaws, Dr. Lam reportedly believes her spinal cord was punctured, not severed.
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via Clowder House Feline Rescue

Cats and kittens with spinal cord injuries mandate a special type of care in dedication and constant attention to their needs since they cannot move around like others. Luckily, Dr. Lam knew a committed couple specializing in spinal injury cats: Skyla and Don Hammond, who run Clowder House Feline Rescue.
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via Clowder House Feline Rescue

Caring for the six-week-old orange and white tabby kitten would be a tall order as Skyla explained that spinal injury cats are "high maintenance." However, she added, "Dr. Lam does so much for us. We said, 'yes, we'll take her.'"
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via Clowder House Feline Rescue

When the kitten came home with Skyla and Don, she was affectionately named Nyla, albeit in jest. While she cannot use her back legs and needs her bladder expressed three times a day, nothing slows her down.
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via Clowder House Feline Rescue

"Cats can be so resilient," Skyla said. "Except for her inability to move her back legs, you'd never know she went through such a trauma!"
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via Clowder House Feline Rescue

Nyla and her recovery are also being watched by Mililani Mauka Veterinary Clinic's Dr. Jamie Furutani, who has recommended a series of passive exercises to help her with her range of motion. One of these is holding her in a "Sphinx" position for two minutes, three times a day.
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via Clowder House Feline Rescue

Although Nyla isn't fully mobile, Skyla said it's quite hard to get her to sit still. She is infatuated with all the toys she's getting and her budding relationships with fellow spinal cord-injured cats around her.
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via Clowder House Feline Rescue

As she continues gaining weight and outgrowing her baby diapers, Nyla shows slight movement in her back legs, which is just enough to grab her fellow felines for some rousing play. Her prognosis may make her high-maintenance, but love, compassion, and patience are winning out on Nyla's uphill journey toward recovery, where heroes will continue to help her along the way.