Australian kitten rescuer, student, and mom Jessica Ruf, shared the story of Hildy, who arrived with a collapsed lung and swimmer syndrome.  She was dealt a very challenging hand when she came into the world. However, she received a special name, Hildy.

Jessica fosters cats and kittens with The Kitten Carer Rescue in Melbourne, Australia.

When Hildy arrived in late February 2022, the rescuers suspected the 3-week-old grey and white kitten had flat-chested kitten syndrome (FCKS), caused by a collapsed lung. When this happens, a kitten can have a flattened chest, difficulty breathing, and problems like swimmer syndrome.

Kittens that swim? What is that? Put simply, it means kittens crawl flat with their legs out to the sides. As they crawl, they appear to be swimming on the carpet. In Hildy’s case, her hind legs were affected.

To help the kitten’s lungs, she would wear a special chest plate. Also, they would try to remedy the kitten’s splayed legs by taping them. At the same time, they would work with a Miracle Nipple, which helped her learn to suckle on her own for the first time.

Next, she would go to see the veterinarian for X-rays. Afterward, they confirmed the rescuer’s suspicions.

Due to the need for ongoing veterinary care, the rescuer could only hope supporters would help cover an intensive care unit and frequent vet checkups. To cover everything, the costs would go well over a thousand dollars. Even then, Hildy might not survive.

Fortunately, the tiny kitten survived the week and even started eating some wet food along with her formula. Then, a successful raffle raised enough to buy a special “Humidicrib” to help Hildy recover.

Despite the uncertain prognosis, Hildy was making rapid improvements by early March. Already, her swimmer syndrome was much-improved, and she could move around without her legs taped.

Later, she would see a specialist to monitor her progress.

As she grew, Hildy became confident and ever-hungry, demanding her breakfast.

After seeing a specialist in mid-March, Ruf shared a wonderful update. Thanks to the Humidicrib, she was overcoming all of her problems as her lung began to re-inflate. With daily exercise on a soft carpeted surface, they expected her legs to grow strong.

On March 16, the rescuers shared another wonderful update about Hildy.

Thanks to Jessica Ruf and help from supporters, Hildy is growing into a beauty. Caring for foster cats is a full-time job, but she managed to do it while balancing life as a student and mom. Plus, she had to try and keep all Hildy’s fans updated for more updates. When you rescue kittens, you have to be a social media whiz and kitten publicist too! It can be overwhelming, but in the end, you have changed lives, for kittens and people.