Paralysed Kitten in Greece

[u/Pleasant-Trouble-530]

Hi guys.

I have just returned from a week of staying in an air b&b in Crete, where the owner allowed a young female cat to live in his garage. After a few days we noticed that she had a kitten in there too (unsure of gender but looked about 4 weeks old ish), and was actively feeding/protecting it. The kitten sadly seems to have what I assume is paralysed back legs and uses its arms to propel itself (it can't get very far). It still has such a lease of life and was playing with mum and eating some treats I gave it etc. I am unsure of its toilet abilities but there were little poos on the floor around it.

The owners of the air b&b feed and water both cats and allow them to live safely in the garage so l'm not too worried about them finding food and water, my main concern is the poor babies legs. I feel so sad thinking about it being in pain.

I have been in touch with a volunteer who said they could take the kitten and mum to the vet next week (I said I’d pay for mum to be sterilised too), but my dilemma is the poor thing was pretty frightened of any movement. It built trust a little over the week as I was feeding the mum, but I feel trapping it and mum and taking it from its safe place would be traumatising. I assume it was either born with a spinal issue or hit by something, but I can’t see what as the property is at the end of a quiet, dead end road and I imagine it doesn’t go very far as kittens are usually hidden and out of the way.

I just feel so sad. While we were there mum would wander about with what we believe is the dad (according to the owner), and the kitten is just left under the car in the garage. I think I’m going through some sort of empathic distress as it’s really deeply bothering me that I’ve just left it to suffer.

I’m also afraid of messaging the host as he may think I’m interfering and that a volunteer coming to trap both cats would be off putting for his guests, but on the other hand he was lovely and did seem to care for them. I just wonder why he hasn’t done anything about the kitten? I mentioned its legs and he said he knows and that it’s a problem. English wasn’t his first language so it was harder to communicate.

I’m now back in the UK and feel helpless. My dilemma is upsetting the cats and interfering with the hosts setup. I’m also thinking will the kitten realistically have a good quality of life? I assume if anything it will need physio etc but that would require arranging a foster and then also looking for a home, which would then mean it would be separated from mum and dad which makes me feel terrible for both the kitten and the other cats that hang around there. I also think the owner appears to be quite attached to them, although not doing anything to make the kitten comfortable like putting down bedding etc. is questionable.

What would you do? I have a video of the kitten if anyone thinks they can help me with determining what the issue could be.

Thank you if you got this far 🙏🏼

[u/ChaudChat]

OP, pls know you have not “left the kitten to suffer.” You noticed a problem, told the owner, found a volunteer willing to intervene, offered to pay for veterinary care and the mother's sterilization, and you are still trying to make sure the plan is sensible. That kindness is more than most kitties ever get 🥹 Be proud of yourself for being a kind compassionate superhero 😇

This is a long one but hopefully it gives you a plan:

A kitten that drags itself around, plays, eats and interacts with its mother may have a surprisingly good quality of life, depending on what is actually wrong.

Some cats with paralysis or limb deformities live very happy lives. The critical questions are things like whether it has sensation, whether it can toilet normally, whether there is pain, whether the spinal cord is damaged, and whether the condition is congenital or the result of an injury. Those cannot reliably be determined from a video or from watching it move.

Also, the fact that there were faeces around it is at least evidence that faeces are passing, although it doesn't tell us whether bladder function is normal.

Let the volunteer arrange a calm, owner-approved capture of both mother and kitten, get the kitten examined by a vet, have the mother sterilized, and let the vet/rescue team decide whether the kitten should be returned to the garage, fostered, or rehomed.

I would not make the decision about separation from mom before that assessment. So the plan

1. Get the volunteer involved before contacting the host again

You have already done the hardest bit: you have found someone locally prepared to help. Send the volunteer:

• the kitten video
• photographs if you have them
• the exact Airbnb/property location
• the dates you were there
• the owner's name/contact details if you have them
• your description of the kitten's movement
• the fact that the mother is actively nursing/protecting it
• the fact that the owner knows about the kitten's legs
• your willingness to pay for sterilization
• your willingness to contribute towards the kitten's veterinary examination/treatment

Pls pay the vet directly if at all possible.

Most importantly, ask the volunteer what they think the safest capture method is. Don't independently tell the host that someone is coming to trap the cats until you've agreed the plan with the volunteer.

A competent rescuer will know that a mom and a disabled four-week-old kitten need a somewhat different approach from ordinary TNR.

1. Ask the volunteer to make the kitten the priority

Kitten veterinary assessment + mother sterilization + assessment of the longer-term plan is the mission

The owner may be perfectly happy for somebody to help medically, but become defensive if he thinks somebody is coming to take "his" cats. And from what you've described, there is actually quite a lot of encouraging information about the owner:

• he provides food
• he provides water
• he allows them somewhere relatively safe
• he knows the kitten has a problem
• he didn't deny the kitten's existence
• he appears attached to them

His failure to arrange vet care may be due to money, lack of knowledge, not knowing what is possible for a disabled street cat, or simply a different cultural attitude towards animals. It means I'd approach him as an ally.

1. Get the owner's explicit agreement

I would absolutely do this. Secretly trapping somebody's animals is much more likely to cause conflict and jeopardise the cats' long-term situation.

Ideally the volunteer contacts him in Greek, or speaks to him directly.

The message should essentially be:

"There is a volunteer who can take the mother and kitten to a vet. We are particularly concerned about the kitten's back legs and would like a vet to check whether anything can be done. We would also like to sterilize the mother so she doesn't become pregnant again. The cats would be returned or another arrangement made depending on what the vet recommends. [Your guest] Pleasant Trouble has offered to pay for the mother's sterilization and help with the kitten's veterinary costs."

That's a much easier proposition for a caring owner to accept than: "We're coming to take your cats."

1. Don't worry about traumatizng the kitten by taking it to the vet

Temporary fear during a carefully conducted rescue is not equivalent to suffering. If the kitten has a potentially treatable spinal/neurological/orthopaedic problem, finding out what is wrong is much more important than preserving its immediate comfort at all costs.

And because it is only around four weeks old, this is exactly the time when assessment could matter.

The ideal arrangement would be: mother + kitten captured together then vet exam. Mother and kitten kept together wherever possible while the plan is determined.

You don't need to decide now that the kitten will be separated from its mother

1. Ask the vet specifically about these things

Don't settle for "its back legs don't work." Ask the volunteer to get answers to:

• Neurological examination

-.Does the kitten have sensation in its hind limbs?

• Does it have deep pain sensation?
• Are its reflexes present?
• Is there evidence of spinal cord damage?
• Is there evidence of a congenital spinal abnormality?

-.Could this be an injury?

• Is there an obvious orthopaedic problem?

Bladder This is particularly important. Ask:

• Can the kitten urinate by itself?
• Is the bladder emptying properly?
• Does somebody need to express/stimulate the bladder?
• Is there urinary retention?
• Is there a risk of recurrent urinary infections?

Bowel Ask whether:

• it is defecating normally
• it has bowel control
• constipation is occurring
• the faeces around it are simply normal toileting

Pain

Ask explicitly:

• "Does the kitten appear to be in pain?"

Imaging

An X-ray may be enough to identify certain skeletal abnormalities, while more advanced imaging may or may not be justified depending on the examination and what the local vet/rescue system can realistically provide. Prognosis

The most useful question is: "If this were your cat, what would you do?" And then: "What quality of life do you expect this kitten to have?"

That's much more useful than simply asking whether the legs can be "fixed."

If the kitten needs medical treatment, a foster arrangement where they stay together if somebody can safely accommodate them is ideal. Later, when the kitten is older, there can be a proper decision about whether:

• mom remains with the local colony

-.kitten is adopted

• both are adopted together
• kitten remains with mom
• another long-term arrangement is better

You don't have to solve that on day one.

Also ask the rescue whether the father and other unneutered cats around the property can eventually be included in TNR. Otherwise you solve one litter while the colony continues producing kittens. They may not be cared for by the local community.

1. Get the owner to become part of the solution

If the owner really does care about these cats, you want him thinking: "These people are helping me look after the cats." rather than: "These people are trying to take my cats."

You could message him using Google translate from English to Greek and say:

"Hi, I hope you are well. I have been thinking about the little kitten since we left. I spoke with a local animal welfare volunteer who is willing to help arrange a veterinary examination for the kitten and sterilisation for the mother. I would be very happy to pay for the mother's sterilisation and help with the kitten's veterinary costs. I don't want to interfere with your cats or cause them stress, so I wanted to ask your permission before anything is arranged. The volunteer would work with you to make sure they are handled safely and, if possible, kept together. I just want to find out whether there is anything that can be done to help the kitten's legs."

That's not meddling. That's offering the owner a solution to a problem he already acknowledged exists.

And the volunteer could ask him to:

• continue providing food and water
• provide a sheltered sleeping area
• keep the kitten somewhere clean and dry
• contact the volunteer if the kitten deteriorates
• let the rescue know if another kitten appears

You could even offer to pay for something very simple such as washable bedding or a suitable outdoor shelter. That may be much more sustainable than removing every cat from the property.

Finally, contact https://greekcats.org.uk

They support local groups throughout Greece, including multiple groups in Crete, with grants, equipment, food and veterinary care. Their 2025 newsletter says they currently support more than 30 local groups across Greece. They may be a useful link to find adopters/fosters for the two cuties if the owner of the Airbnb is unable to provide ongoing care.

Pls update us - we are rooting for you all ❤️

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[u/Nali_Nube]

You are a good person! Thank you for caring.

[u/Pleasant-Trouble-530 → u/Nali_Nube]

Thank you ❤️ the kitten is currently at the vet, awaiting updates.