When Barnabas and his siblings, Joshua and Naomi, were born, they had a home. Their mother was living in an apartment in Philadelphia, until the landlord discovered them and threw the feline family out on the street. Mom took off, never to be seen again. A good Samaritan brought the now 14 day old kittens to NAR for help. NAR took the kittens in, and began the daunting task of bottle-feeding and raising such young orphans against the odds.

Now three months old, Barnabas and his siblings have defied the odds and have grown up healthy and strong, and ready to find their forever homes. It is NAR policy that all cats and kittens are spayed/neutered before adoption, so Barnabas, Naomi and Joshua went to the vet to have their procedures performed. However, upon exam, Barnabas was found to have an injury to his genitalia, with a stenotic urethra (an extremely narrow penile opening), determined to be a result of his siblings nursing on him between bottle feedings. (Kittens have such a strong nursing instinct that, when there is no mom present, they will nurse on anything available, including their siblings.) Barnabas was not neutered on this day; he was sent home with antibiotics and recommendations for a surgical consult.

In order for Barnabas to heal properly, he will need a corrective surgery called a perineal urethrostomy. This procedure removes the penis and widens the opening of the urethra, and is performed by a veterinary specialist. NAR is asking for your help to off-set the costs of this life-saving procedure, so that we may help Barnabas over another hurdle in his fight to live the life he deserves.