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Mighty Joe, the cardiac kitty, bounces back from operation

Posted March 11, 2008 11:00 pm

Rebecca Hyman

Mighty Joe didn't need nine lives, just some friends with good hearts.

That's exactly what he found in the good people of Middleborough, Lakeville and the surrounding area, who donated enough money for the tiny kitty with irrepressible gusto to undergo the heart surgery that saved his life.

He's so full of spunk he pulled out his own chest tube and was gnawing on his blanket right after surgery, wanting to be fed, said Marisa Labanca, president of New England Animal Rescue Inc. of Middleborough.

"He had so much energy even before the surgery. It's like he didn't know anything was wrong with him," Labanca said.

Mighty Joe's story starts in a garage in Middleborough last spring when a homeowner had asked Labanca to help trap and rescue a few dozen feral cats.

In the garage, a mother cat was nursing a litter of 6- to 8-week-old kittens and Mighty Joe, who was only about 10 days old. She couldn't have been mother to the older kittens and Mighty Joe, so he was likely an orphan, Labanca said.

But the mother cat was a good mother to him. NEAR trapped the mother along with Mighty Joe because the other kittens were old enough to be weaned, and the mother continued to nurse the tiny fellow.

When Mighty Joe was still just a few weeks old, Labanca brought him in for a standard check up by Dr. David Wolfthal at Lakeville Animal Hospital.

Wolfthal, who does an incredible job with all of the cats Labanca brings him, detected an abnormal murmur when he listened to Mighty Joe's heart and ordered an ultrasound, Labanca said.

The test, performed by pet cardiologist Dr. Mark Stamoulis, confirmed that Mighty Joe had patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), an abnormal opening in the vessel between the heart and lungs which can lead to heart failure if not corrected.

Without surgery, Mighty Joe would likely have died, said his foster mom, Pat Newton of Middleborough.

The receptionist at Lakeville Animal Hospital gave Mighty Joe his name, after Mighty Joe Young, the giant ape with the big heart of movie fame, Newton said.

"He was so scrawny and sick when he came in, she gave him a big powerful name to help him through. It's kind of like mind over matter," Newton said.

As it turns out, the name fits him perfectly, Newton said.

At about 10 months old, the spry little black and white kitty tips the scales at little more than six pounds.

But what Mighty Joe lacks in bulk, he makes up for in sheer determination.

"He's been through so much," Newton said.

On Feb. 12 he underwent heart surgery at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in East Greenwich, R.I. On top of that, he developed eye ulcers so bad his ophthalmologist thought he might lose an eye.

But you can't keep Mighty Joe down, Newton said.

Not only is he on the mend. He's thriving, as evidenced by the apparent ease and enthusiasm with which he bounds up on to Newton's desk to pounce on his favorite target, a fuzzy red ball.

It seems Mighty Joe is under the impression he is a dog. He likes nothing better than to scamper after a projectile of just about any description and then deposit it back in front of a human partner accompanied by a not so subtle hint that he wouldn't turn down another round or two.

But his first favorite activity, paws down, is eating. You wouldn't know it to look at the wiry little fur ball, but Mighty Joe has pretty much never met a morsel he doesn't like, Newton said.

And he wears his heart on his sleeve, especially when it comes to his tummy.

"He is very friendly, but he doesn't like it if you eat in front of him and don't share. He gives you a dirty look like 'How can you not share with me?'" Labanca said with a chuckle.

Newton said it will be hard to give up Mighty Joe for adoption. He has such a winning personality, he's already stolen her heart.

He doesn't like to be picked up. He's been poked and prodded so many times in his young life for medical procedures. But he rarely misses an opportunity to plop himself down next to Newton when they're home relaxing.

Her colleagues at her office in Lakeville have already started joking that she won't be able to say good-bye to Mighty Joe.

Newton's track record lends some credence to that view. Mighty Joe is only her second foster cat and she adopted the first, Pumpkin, who landed on her doorstep around Halloween.

A boy from the neighborhood showed up with the cuddly black kitty in his arms and a can of cat food. He said some of the other kids were mistreating the cat and asked her to help.

Pumpkin and Mighty Joe have already become fast friends, play fighting and wrestling like brother and sister.

"They are so cute together," Newton said.

But Newton, who lives in Middleborough with her husband Michael and daughters, Sarah, 13, and Kate, 8, is trying to be disciplined about being a foster mom.

The Newtons already have three cats, and despite the tug on her heartstrings, Newton said she thinks she can give Mighty Joe up if just the right person comes along, someone who will love him and take care of him.

Labanca said she wouldn't do rescue work if she couldn't offer the cats she saves whatever medical care they need. NEAR, a non-profit organization funded through grants and donations, footed the bill for all of Mighty Joe's medical treatments. Newton said she never would have been able to afford the thousands of dollars in care herself.

It breaks Labanca's heart to think of someone like Mighty Joe with so much love to give and no one to love him back.

"We've always believed every animal in our organization should have an equal chance," Labanca said.

Mighty Joe will be available for adoption in about a month and should be able to lead a normal life, Labanca said.

Lakeville Call

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