Leo

Hydrocephelous + encephalocele special needs orange kitten and one gray kitten, resting on a soft pink blanket.

Our One in a Million

Leo and his siblings ended up in a rural Louisiana shelter with an end of day shelter due their age. Upon arrival it was obvious that Leo was different with his extra large head. Our neurologist, Dr. Boogie Yates, was able to determine that Leo was born with a significant open fontanelle and had cerebral spinal fluid and brain matter protruding through his skull.

Make It
Scenic landscape with a large mountain range, a lake in the foreground, and rolling hills covered in grass and shrubs.

Given the rarity (need a different word) of Leo’s case we never felt confident moving forward with surgical options, which was in agreement with his neurologist’s opinion. One of the main reasons was that Leo’s CSF production was not stagnant and at the time it was still unknown to what degree it could decrease as he grew.

Instead, once his bubble reduced enough, we pursued a custom helmet designed by -find their name, a physical therapist? find their actual occupation. This was a huge milestone because keeping his brain safe with no skull to protect it had been one of the biggest concerns for us from the beginning. Leo practiced with several prototypes to get comfortable wearing his headgear and as he always was he was perfect for training.

Build it.

Since he was a tiny little kitten Leo required daily medication to reduce the amount of CSF his body was producing to prevent his bubble from growing larger and affecting his quality of life. Fortunately for Leo medically managing his hydrocephalus was very effective and even led to his bubble decreasing in size!

For most of his life Leo had been too small and his bubble too large for really a safe options to correct his condition. As he grew we reached out to folks all over the country to see if there are surgical options they’d be comfortable and confident performing on Leo and while there have been several who were willing to take on Leo’s case none had experience with his specific condition (having an open fontanelle as well as hydrocephalus).

A theoretical surgery for Leo would include two parts - some sort of cover to act as a pseudo skull to protect his brain and a shunt to drain the excess CSF. Essentially the hole in his skull acted as a sort of relief valve for the excess fluid. If it were to build up in a confined space it would put pressure on his brain causing a host of potential issues.

Make It
A ginger cat wearing a black hat with a wooden stick and tongue out, standing on a patterned rug in front of a plate of wet cat food, with a dark gray cabinet in the background.
Leo a small orange special needs kitten with hydrocephalus with blue eyes and pink nose sitting on a person's knee, wearing a pastel striped shirt, in a room with a plant and closet doors in the background.
An orange tabby cat wearing a black helmet, licking its lips with its tongue out, indoors on a patterned rug with a gray cabinet in the background.
A person holding an orange tabby kitten close to their chest, with the kitten looking directly at the camera.
Leo, a special needs hydrocephalus orange tabby cat wearing a Tomato helmet sitting on a wooden floor with a light-colored wall in the background.
A person holding a white mug with colorful 'SUPER LEO' text and a small lion illustration, while, Leo, a special needs hydrocephalus ginger cat wearing a Tomato helmet with turquoise decorations looks on in a cozy living room.
A person is holding a special needs hydrocephalus ginger cat during a veterinary exam at a clinic with black paw print patterns on the table.
Three orange tabby kittens sitting on a closed laptop placed on a washing machine in a room with white walls.
A vet in scrubs examines a ginger special needs hydrocephalus cat on a vet table covered with paw print paper. Someone is holding the cat's head gently while the vet checks its mouth.
Six orphaned neonatal kittens of various colors, including white, orange, and gray, resting on a blue towel inside a black container.
A special needs hydrocephalus ginger cat wearing a helmet with a cherry on top and green leaves, with its tongue sticking out.
A special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele ginger cat wearing a fruit hat with a pink nose, tongue out, smiling, indoor setting with wooden floor and white wall.
A special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele ginger cat wearing a plastic hat with a red top and a green ribbon, sitting on a wooden floor near a white wall.
A special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele ginger cat wearing a pumpkin-themed headband with a green stem on top, sitting on a wooden floor, with a plain light-colored wall in the background.
A special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele ginger cat wearing a black helmet with a transparent visor, with its mouth open showing teeth, standing on a cloth with a blue and red pattern, in front of a gray kitchen cabinet.
A special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele ginger kitten sitting on a white blanket, looking to the right, with a reflected view of its face in a glass surface behind it.
A special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele ginger kitten with blue eyes sitting on a soft gray blanket, looking slightly upward.
A cute special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele orange tabby kitten with blue eyes sitting on a soft white blanket, looking up.
A cute special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele orange tabby kitten with blue eyes sitting on a soft gray blanket, looking up.
A cute special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele orange tabby kitten lying on a soft, light gray blanket, looking up at the camera.
A cute special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele orange tabby cat wearing a plastic crown with pink heart and rhinestone decorations, sticking out its tongue, sitting on a blue cushion in a room with a bookshelf and a potted plant in the background.
A cute special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele orange tabby kitten with green eyes on a fluffy pink rug, with a white wall and door in the background.
A cute special needs hydrocephalus encephalocele orange tabby kitten wearing a black cap sitting on a grey floor in front of a white door, with part of a person in red and black shoes visible on the left.
An orange tabby cat lying on a rug beside a pink-colored playpen with a gray-striped tabby cat inside, looking up.
Two cats, one orange and one black striped, lying together on a blue blanket. The orange cat is larger, and the black striped cat is curled up against it. There is a yellow item near the cats and a pink object nearby, all on a blanket-covered surface
Two cats snuggling close together, one orange and one tabby.
A bed with a white quilt, two large bright blue decorative pillows with textured diamond patterns, a ginger cat lying on the bed, and a tabby cat peeking out from behind the pillows.
Two kittens, one with orange fur and blue eyes, the other with gray-striped fur and blue eyes, sitting on a soft pink blanket.
A cute orange kitten with blue eyes leaning on a striped pillow.
A veterinarian and a person at a veterinary clinic examining a ginger cat, with paw print patterns on the table.
A person in veterinary scrubs holds an orange tabby cat on an examination table with paw print marks, while another person gently holds the cat's head and examines its face in a veterinary clinic.
A ginger cat at the veterinary clinic being examined with a stethoscope, on a table with paw print patterns.