Butternut was found in a farm field, after she was run over by a tractor. At only approximately 12 weeks old,she had sustained a broken pelvis, but it was an older injury, of at least a few days, and it left her unable to move, or look for food and find water, let alone get out of the way of oncoming farm machinery.
It was October, 2025 when we received the following email:
"Good morning, I just called and was advised to send an email. . I have an orange domestic shorthair female barn cat that needs immediate care. She is about 5 months old( vets determined subsequently she was only about 10-12 weeks old but very underweight). My fiancé and I are located outside of Glenwood City in Wisconsin and would be able to bring her to your sanctuary if you are able to take her. She was run over last night by the farmer who works on the property we’re renting. Her back end was run over, and we don’t believe she is paralyzed. We’re thinking she has a left leg fracture or a hip or pelvis fracture. She does have feeling in her right leg and can put some weight on it. My fiancé and I are unable to provide veterinary care for her at this time. We’re reaching out to see if we would be able to surrender her to you so you can give her the help and care she needs. Please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you very much."
Taking in a surrenders on such an urgent basis can be a formidable undertaking when so many questions about the animals, like this kitten surround the injury and trajectory of what may be required to help . It requires a leap of faith for sure. Fortunately, our shelter vet was there that day, so she was able to do intake and an initial assessment. This kitten was not more than 10-12 weeks old. She was very thin, and so HUNGRY.. Our vet appreciated a hernia a significant concern, however the kitten, who our staff named " Butternut" in honor of her coloring and the season, was able to eat and pass waste so the hernia was not creating a block to her intestines. She was more comfortable on the pain medication prescribed but was still very sore in the back hindquarters, and just seemed to want to rest and eat.
This next morning, Butternut saw an emergency clinic. The emergency specialist noted the muscle wasting of her right leg, and speculated that her paralysis was from an older injury as there was no bruising indicating a recent trauma or severe pain as would be expected from an injury that occurred in the last day or so. She wondered if the kitten was already pretty immobile and therefore, couldn't move out of the way of the farmer's tractor. As noted, she was thin and very hungry so was having trouble getting to food. Her pelvis was broken, and the emergency service thought she might need a tplo surgery as well as a procedure to repair the hernia, but at least Butternut's leg was not broken. However, the vet thought the kitten appeared to be incontinent as the lumbar spine was affected, and on xrays a "irregularity" was observed on the back, although the vet did not specifically state her back was broken and noted the kitten was trying to walk. More pain medication was been prescribed. So crate rest was indicated for this little survivor, Butternut, and definitely an appointment with the surgeon was in her future.
After her emergency vet visit, on the way home and feeling a bit better to play with a toy in this video and on cage rest at Home for Life.
From visit with the emergency veterinarian:
"Radiographs were performed and show a left sided pelvic fracture through the acetabulum (hip joint) and her left hind limb shows no obvious fractures. She has a large abdominal hernia with intestinal contents within the hernia. There is also concern that she has a luxation between her lower lumbar and sacral spine. We discussed overall concern that Butternut may be fecal and urinary incontinent, this along with her decreased tail tone is suggestive of a spinal injury. Ideally she will need advanced imaging with CT or MRI to further investigate extent of her injury. We also discussed Butternut will require surgical repair of her abdominal wall hernia and pelvis and discussed referral for her injuries. You mentioned you have a surgeon you will reach out to. We discussed keeping Butternut strictly cage rested and will start her on additional pain."
A few days later Butternut saw our orthopedic specialist who did not feel surgery was warranted for the broken pelvis and confirmed that the kitten's back was not broken. The surgeon also prescribed strict cage rest so the Butternut could rest and heal. To our immense relief the hernia turned out to be some muscle wall bulging and not impacting her intestines, and was repaired when she was spayed. As she recovered, this poor kitten who had such a hard start, had to be kept quiet and isolated but found a protective friend with our Noelle, a Great Pyrenees mix.
Butternut tested IFA positive for feline leukemia. We are happy she is not outside anymore, and at risk, nor at risk of infecting other cats and kittens to this contagious disease. She had been isolated from other cats as she healed at Home for Life so none of our other cats have been exposed. At her young age, she was probably infected prenatally, born of a mother cat who was positive. Our Butternut has certainly shown that she seems to have nine lives, surviving a life-threatening injury on the farm, a badly broken pelvis.
We waited to test her as she had to be segregated and very confined due to her badly broken pelvis, her very rundown condition, and the suspected hernia, which turned out to be muscle wall out of place due to the break; it was corrected surgically and during the procedure she was also spayed. But then she developed an upper respiratory infection that took her a struggle to get over. Butternut is still isolated, but in a larger room so she can move around as she is in the final weeks of her healing.
As you can see, Butternut has rebounded from her very tough start and is healthy and robust now. She is a pretty orange tabby with a white locket and orange eyes- very striking and fairly unusual to find a female kitten who is an orange tabby. She loves kitten Science Diet and Royal Canin kibble, and also is a fan of KMR milk replacement, which helped her bones strengthen. She is not a fan of canned food really, other than Recovery which is a liver based canned food, very high nutrient and helps combat anemia that leukemia cats often battle. With the enhanced nutrition and rest, Butternut has now regained her vitality and health. As she became stronger and more active, Butternut learned to use the cat wheel, once her pelvis healed and she regained her ability to move without pain.
As one of our most athletic cats, Butternut was featured in a popular video with two of our FIV+ cats, Phil and Oskar, who also love to use the wheel. All three are looking for sponsors!
We have recognized through helping these cats and kittens like Butternut that, sanctuary, the Third Door® in animal welfare is not a template or silo but a perspective. Helping the individual doesn’t seem scalable but modeling compassion and then supporting that compassion IS scalable.
By serving individual animals and not turning away from these desperate cats and kittens like Butternut when we have been asked to assist, we have been able to exert widespread influence on the direction of animal welfare practice. And by modeling and supporting caring behavior among people who reach out to help and for support, we create a movement of agency and responsiveness.
Butternut with her friend Buttercup, who is also leukemia positive, and came to Home For Life from animal control in Minneapolis
Underlying “the Third Door” in animal welfare is creativity and innovation, and a life affirming perspective. All that we accomplish starts with that perspective that led to the founding of Home for Life® more than 25 years ago: Animals who need us are not a problem to be solved but an untapped treasure. We believe in the significance of every life we care for, and that the life of each cat and dog counts.
That conviction is transformative, a premise that creates miracles—from establishing and taking new ground for the most vulnerable animals, to creating a safer world for all cats, kittens, pups and dogs by showing what’s possible.
Asking the right questions, helping the one in front of us, doing the next right thing, is the North star that guides us, so the animals most in need are not forsaken. Home for Life® is an agile and responsive organization that can pivot when animals require concrete assistance, while staying within our core mission of our sanctuary.
The lifesaving success of this nimble and responsive initiative over the past over 25 years is proof that these qualities that are the foundation of Home for Life are effective.
Home for Life® was established to find an answer for animals who fail to find or keep homes. The plight of these cats and kittens being left outside, like Butternut, to face a harsh fate has continued to confound the animal welfare world charged with helping them. Home for Life® has an innovative solution to help these special cats, kittens, puppies and dogs—an idea that we call “the Third Door.” The third door has meant care-for-life sanctuary, where their hearts and health can heal but the third door is also a perspective: extending animals in need the benefit of doubt and grace, thinking outside the box to discover lifesaving solutions. And making sure kittens and cats —will still have a chance to live and have a loving home for life.