10/16/2026
We share a lot of the good news about our cats as they are adopted. What we need to do more of is share the stories behind these special little lives, before they have their moments to shine.
Today we want to share the story of Drayton. This is actually a story of two, both Drayton and his very special foster, Leann.
In early May, a kitten was found in the vicinity of Grand Canyon University. He was brought in to our intake building in a box and, we can tell you, we have rarely seen a cat in worse physical condition than this tiny kitten. We were able to clean him up and, while there appeared to be some kind of injury to his back end, he was stable.
Still, we didn't think this little guy had much of a chance at surviving. One of our medical staff members, Leann, immediately volunteered to try and care for him at home. Leann isn't just any staff member. As one of the most active people at our rescue, Leann fosters many, many tiny kittens each year. At 80 years young, Leann works harder than anyone we know caring for cats. She is absolutely our hero.
All this being said, we were blown away when we checked with Leann about how little Drayton was doing a few days later and she told me that--not only had he survived, but he was improving. When we finally saw him a few weeks later, we could not even believe he was the same kitten. He looked incredible!
Unfortunately, though, Drayton was not out of the woods yet. That issue with his back end...we're not sure what may have happened to him, but he obviously had a severe infection in his a**l area. It was causing swelling and he was having difficulty passing stool. We were able to determine what was causing the infection, and found the right antibiotic to treat him. The area began to heal, but as it did, it became even more difficult for Drayton to p**p.
As you can imagine, it has been essential to keep Drayton eliminating, and Leann has provided extensive daily care to keep him clean and as comfortable as possible. Obviously this is not something that we want for Drayton long-term.
We have consulted with a local veterinary surgeon who has agreed to perform a surgery on Drayton that we hope will change his life. The specialist admitted that, not only has he not seen a condition like Drayton's before, but he has never tried to perform a surgery like this before.
Despite the risk, Leann would like to see Drayton receive the surgery because, as she put it, 'I see him when he's not here, as no one else does, when he's running and playing...he's been through so much, he deserves a chance.' We couldn't agree more, and we think this is a time when we should pitch in and help them, if we can. We can't think of anyone more deserving: the kitten who defied all odds and the volunteer who has loved and cared for him and hundreds of other kittens before him.
If you can help, please donate by clicking the link below. Thank you
