Moody came to the San Francisco SPCA from Kings County Animal Services in the Central Valley. She arrived at our shelter as a one-eyed kitten with nasal and upper airway congestion. In addition to her respiratory symptoms, she also had two fractured upper canine teeth that needed to be removed.
Expert care for complex needs
Our Shelter Medicine team prepared Moody for dental surgery, expecting a routine procedure. Instead, they were surprised to find a large defect in the hard palate of Moody’s mouth. This defect was the cause of her congestion.
A CT scan revealed the full extent of what Moody had endured: multiple facial fractures that were slowly healing. These findings showed that her missing eye, facial injuries, and palate defect were likely evidence of severe trauma from her past.
Moody made the journey to Aggie Animal Dental Center in Mill Valley, where a dental specialist performed her palate surgery and extracted her two fractured teeth. The surgery was a success! She spent the following night in a foster home so she could recover in comfort, but little did Moody know that she had found her forever home.
From foster to forever home
Moody’s foster, Vanessa, first met her during a cat socialization session at our adoption center before her surgery. She said that “[Moody] would not allow pets, but she loved to play, even when she must have been feeling pretty low.” When Moody finally allowed Vanessa to pet her, it was love at first purr! Vanessa could tell that there was something special about this resilient little kitten.
When Moody needed transportation to her dental surgery and foster afterward, Vanessa didn’t hesitate to volunteer. During Moody’s recovery, she began to feel safe in her surroundings, and her sweet, silly personality started to show.
Vanessa had been considering getting a sibling for her 6-year-old cat, Stevie Nicks, for some time. While Moody was in foster care, she showed Stevie Nicks that she would be the perfect little sister, and Vanessa was convinced too! Now, this trio is starting a new chapter filled with play, purrs, and cuddles.
Looking to add a furry bundle of joy to your own family? Visit our adoptions page to see all our adoptable cats and kittens.