Flat Chested Kitten Diary of a trial I*Love*You Chester Chance

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Chester and his 6 litter mates were born healthy on 26th July.

Everything seemed to be just fine and during those first days the male developped as good as his litter mates.

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6th August 2005 – 11 days of age

Chester seems more fragile as his litter mates even though he drinks and even though I gain a good impression of him. I pick him up and somehow it feels strange when I tough him. This feeling reminds me of something broad, flat. But I cannot explain this correctly. I pick up his siblings. They are different when I touch them and now I come to the conclusion “Flat chested”. I have only heard about this desease and still I was almost certain it can’t be anything else. It is said that this defect is visible after 10-14 days. Chester is 11 days of age when I felt it for 1st time.

The more I read about it the more I know: Chester is a Flat Chested Kitten.

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9th August 2005 – 14 days of age

The rib cage of this male is not normally developped but flat

Chester is not able to stand on his legs and moves by only „paddling“ on the floor.

Normally 1st thing is to put those babies down. I have thought about that too but could not do it in the end. I can see how happy this little chap is even though he is handicapped. He is very nosey and puts his head out of the nest or he enjoys nursing at mummies titties.

No, I will not give up that easily and that is why I surf through the internet and look for solutions. I find them on a page about Flat Chested Kittens. Several breeders are published there. They built sorts of “chest supports” and I start immediately making such a thing for Chester too.

This support is made from a toilett role. I cut two holes for his legs and took a panty liner in the inside in order to soften the role for Chester’s body.

Two hair bunds are pulled through the holes and like that the role is tied over the shoulders.

This support is tied onto the body and therefore Chester gains more stability. He presses his legs into the ground and starts walking. He is able to stand!!! It is clearly to be seen that he develops more strength in his hind legs too and gets them into a better angle.

He starts to be really lively and begins to make his 1st steps. I have never felt more hope for this little fellow than in that moment.

This support does not seem to hinder Chester at all. He hangs at mummies titties and has forgotten all about his “little armour”

Chester weighs 157gr on 9th August – he gets supplement food now

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Here you can read more about Chester:

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