HandicappedPets.Net

Hello and welcome!
I have three manx syndrome kitties and, no, there is no surgery. It is a good idea, when they are a few months old, to get x-rays so you know what you are dealing with. Two of mine have deformed, off set sacrums, and one has a deformed pelvis and small kidney. These guys often have other issues such as other internal deformities (small or deformed kidneys), heart disease and neurological issues.

Incontinence is the number one issue. There is no surgery for incontinence. The biggest issue with incontience is making sure their bladder is empty. Even if they dribble pee, or pee a little on their own, they might not be emptying their bladder all the way. This sets the stage for urinary tract infections, which kill a lot of these kinds of cats.
At the top of the forum are links to articles and videos about expressing your cat for pee and poop.
If they aren't pooping daily, and esp if they look round and their gut gets tender, they may need laxatives. I use miralax (over the counter) and lactulose (from the vet) there are also medications which help the colon move stool along, and which help the bladder contract.
These guys need extra care but they can be happy little cats despite their challenges. Honestly my biggest challenge with some of them is bathtime. It's important to keep them clean, I often do little butt/hind end baths. keeping their leg and buttfur trimmed also helps.



Glad you found us!

Thank you Bendymom,

She pees fine and certainly isn't constipated, but she smears poop everywhere she goes, and I'm so worried I won't be able to find a good home for her, I only foster these kittens, not looking to adopt more. She is constantly oozing out a bit of brown playdoh and she hates getting wiped, was even more irate at my bumbling failed attempt to help her express. I've given her a warm butt bath every other day and completely trimmed all her back fur but her cleanliness is impossible to maintain. I'm reaching out to all local shelters, especially if they take on special needs animals, but do you know of a good network I could connect with? She's so adorable now most people would fall in love with her, but I know it'll get harder the older she gets.

I would rely on anything BendyMom says about manx kitties.

I don't know if it may help you, but another moderator here (a British ex-pat living in Spain) had a manx cat named Kat. Debbie started a large forum/group for disabled animal rescue in Europe and worked to get the first animal rehab facility in Spain. The forum was named Kat's Club. I will attach some pictures below. Kat was an indoor-outdoor cat. I thought of her because Debbie had some of the issues you mentioned with oozing. Here are 2 posts describing Kat and her care.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4893&p=26115&#p26115

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8702&p=44448&#p44448


(Three more pictures here viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2434#p10675 )

breegold wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 6:05 pm I'm reaching out to all local shelters, especially if they take on special needs animals, but do you know of a good network I could connect with?

http://www.thecatsmeowrescue.org/specia ... -cats.html

http://www.theoddcatsanctuary.com/

https://www.snapcats.org/

https://kaleysplace.org/

Hi there,

Thank you so much for saving this little one. Bendy is truly the expert here.

I also have and have had Manx cats. The one I have now has no tail at all, not even a stump. She can leak a bit, too. They key is to make sure they are not constipated. The leaking is deceptive but it can actually mean that the cat is constipated. Try adding in what Bendy suggested as stool softeners to 'firm' up the poo and see if it helps the leaking. Otherwise you could try a diaper? Definitely keep the butt clean. I use a lanolin/zinc oxide barrier cream you can buy for cows at the livestock coops. It has no additives so not toxic if licked.

Hope this helps.

Lisa.

Thank you, thank you to everyone!

Right now the poo is still quite soft since she's so young and just transitioned from nursing to kitten food, the goal was to move past the diarrhea phase. Her wet food is currently being supplemented with probiotics to prevent backslide to that, especially since she's now on antibiotics to clear any parasitic irritants. But once past that, I'll invest in softeners to keep her steady in the sweet spot of poo consistency.

I just Amazon prime ordered a gentle pet shampoo based off another post for keeping her clean and less tender.

Manx syndrome is kind of like spina bifida, so my guess is probably not. Fecal incontinence isn't usually too bad, if you ask me. There are Facebook groups to help place such kitties, if you do FB.

Please tell me the groups! ❤

Ok, she just strained to poop and produced nothing. How much Miralax do I give her??

Edit: I figured it out ok, now to try diapers

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CatsWithParalysis is the main one I was thinking of.

This is so emotionally trying. I'm reaching out to all shelters/rescues/sanctuaries. One told me to reach out to breeders, so I did that too. The breeder told me to euthanize her and also clearly got judgy about poor breeding practices, as if any of this was intentional. Putting her down is not a consideration at this point, but it's heartbreaking to consider.

I can't imagine what they thought reaching out to a breeder would accomplish. That doesn't even make sense.

There are some good videos and information on diapers for cats. At least with no tail it's easier to diaper. If you want links, please don't hesitate to ask.

some breeders are actually quite savvy about cat health, the really serious show breeders are.
anyway.

I would start with a quarter tsp of miralax twice a day and see what that gets you. It's the kind of thing that is different for every cat, and will change as the cat's gut changes. This gut management is an ever changing situation, just watch carefully and tweak as needed. I recommend Viva papertowels as they are clothlike and soft.

breegold wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 5:39 pm Ok, she just strained to poop and produced nothing.

yep, warm baths help

Post by Bendy Kitty » Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:00 pm

Warm soaks are very very very helpful. Darned if I know why. We have done thsi many times Put some nice warm warm water in a pan or bowl & sit the kitten in it. Massage their belly, give them lots of scritches. Soak the kitten butt for at least 5 minutes, more if he'll let you!

It is very importatn to thoroughly dry the kitten afterwards as lil kittens get chilled very easily. What we do is put a hairdryer on low and sit it about 5 feet away from where we are. That makes a nice warm breeze, but isn't so terrifying to the kitten.

Thank you for trying to help this kitten!

bendy kitty

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