Kitten’s recovery from heart surgery 
Kitten’s recovery looking good – Reece’s heart surgery got a big hand from Capital Region donations.
COLONIE — Capital Region residents gave more than $10,000 to help pay for surgery for Reece, the 7-month-old foster kitten who needed open heart surgery.
The cat, who was featured in a Times Union story on Feb. 7, is recovering, back to walking on a leash and eating turkey slices, two weeks after surgery.
The kitten was diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect and underwent the rare surgery to decrease the hole in his heart.
“When everything else on him was healthy, it was hard to know he would die by a year if he didn’t have surgery,” said Reece’s foster caretaker, Heather Keller of East Greenbush.
The donations beyond the $3,000 cost of the surgery will be used to help other cats and dogs in need of medical services at AnimaLovers. The not-for-profit foster organization has cared for Reece since he was found in a box after a house fire in Rensselaer.
The tabby visited his surgeons Thursday at Upstate Veterinary Specialties for his two-week checkup and doctors were optimistic he will make a full recovery.
Veterinary surgeon M. Faulkner Besancon and cardiac specialist Aaron Wey are awaiting one last test before they give the resilient feline a clean bill of health.
He has almost doubled in size since his procedure.
Jude Martin, president of AnimaLovers, said the organization plans to write each donor a thank you card and provide an update on the kitten.
AnimaLovers is still deciding on an adoptive family but expects to have the kitten in a permanent home soon.
Rena Ost, cat foster care coordinator for AnimaLovers, appealed for the public to consider fostering animals like Reece in their homes.
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Image above: Six-month-old house cat Reece has his stitches removed today by Dr. M. Faulkner Besancon. The cat had heart surgery last month that was paid for with donations from Capital Region residents. (John Carl D’Annibale / Times Union)
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Image above: Reece gets a hug from his foster “mom” Heather Keller, during the cat’s two week checkup after heart surgery. (John Carl D’Annibale / Times Union)
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5 Comments on “Kitten’s recovery from heart surgery”
YAY! Great news. This does my heart good
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Hello ! I need help for my kitten whose got a heart problem. I live in France and I cant find anny heart surgery for cats.
Thank you for your help.
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Dearest Doctor M. Faulkner Besancon: Congratulation for the succsess surgery on Reece heart problem. We , at home , are criyng since 10 days ago when our lovely male cat Perico” had the first acute episodic collapse, and a second one 4 deays ago. The cardilogist at ” Veterinary Emergency Clinic in toronto, Canada, phone# 416 920 2002, fax # 416 920 6185, has diagnosis Perico with a moderate to severe endomyocardial fibrosis( restrictive endocardiomyopathy ( RCM) with unknown etiology. Perico is at home now recovering , tekin a diuretic medication and 20mg aspirine every 3 days. We love Him a lot and every minute thar pass is a big suffering for all of us.///there are any thing you could do for our cat Perico? ///we really appreciate your response ASAP, please////Your sincerely., Humberto Benjamin Claveria, Toronto , Canada, 416 218 0578, or 416 733 28 90 ( Rebeca) home phone # and 416 492 3777 work phone number. Thank you so much///////
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Great news. I have the same cat.beautiful.
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My cat is 2 years old and was just diagnosed with HCM. I am devastated. Want to know if a surgery is possible on her for this type of illness. She is on Atenolol 5mg right now to see how she evolves. She has no symptoms and besides that, very healthy. I am reading everything on the internet, trying to find something possible to do and always end up crying for the bad prognosis.
I would give her 15 years of my life on a blink to save her if I could.
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