As drastic as it may seem, amputation can often be the kindest option for certain injuries.
Corn Pop was found injured in the road at four months old, covered in motor oil with a fractured left femur. X-rays revealed a severe bone break in at least three places, so we reached out to the team at CareVet at Reems Creek for their assistance.
“When he arrived at our hospital, our staff fell in love with him instantly—despite his injury and being quite nervous, Cornpop greeted everyone with affectionate, nonstop purrs that quickly won over the entire team,” said Beth Hampton, hospital manager and RVT.
Their team came to the same conclusion we did: an amputation would be the quickest and best way to return Corn Pop’s quality of life.
This decision is never made lightly, but a complex fracture like this, even healed, would likely cause complications later in life.
Kittens are remarkably adaptable in their first few months and Corn Pop quickly embraced life on three legs.
Before surgery he would hardly stand on his own, not wanting to put weight on the injured leg. But now?
“He goes with us on family vacations, comes with me to my art studio, even walks on a leash like an absolute champ,” said his adopter, Jessie.
“His disability truly does not slow him down. He tells me when he needs help getting somewhere he can’t quite get to on his own. Actually, he talks to me all day long and his purr can be heard in the next room!”
Now named Hiccup (after the main character in “How to Train Your Dragon” who loses his leg), he brings immeasurable joy to his family.
His adopter thanks the team at Carevet at Reems Creek, his foster who helped him recover post-op, all the staff who comforted him in our care and you — the donors who made his surgery possible.
“Thank you for taking care of him before he became ours and for giving us the opportunity to bring this funny, smart, adventurous little three-legged boy into our family,” Jessie said. “He is very, very loved.”
When you give, kittens like Corn Pop get vital care. Adopters like Jessie get a love they didn’t even know was possible.
Corn Pop/Hiccup’s story was a part of our 2026 September Match campaign. You can read more stories from the campaign, among others, in our Stories tag! And of course, you can always be a part of the mission and donate to support stories like these.
