Cats
Woman adopts ‘bat kitty’ for her exotic look then learns she has rare condition
I've never seen a cat like her.
Kristin Danley-Greiner
04.01.20

With her huge piercing green eyes and wrinkled forehead, Lucy the Sphynx is an intriguing looking cat. Her breed has been around since 1966, but there aren’t many cats like Lucy.

When her owner Zilla Bergamini saw of video of Lucy with her siblings, the little girl just stood out among her siblings. Zilla recognized that Lucy was different but that didn’t matter.

It was love at first sight!

Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat
Source:
Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat

When Lucy had her first vet visit, she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a rare neurological condition caused by a build-up of fluid in her brain. This abnormal dilation or expansion of the ventricular system is due to an increased volume of spinal fluid.

In Lucy’s case, the ventricles connected to her spinal cord are the ones affected, which gives her quite an interesting physical appearance.

Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat
Source:
Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat

The veterinarian stated he didn’t believe it was worth operating on Lucy. Thankfully, more than a year has gone by since Lucy’s diagnosis and she seems to be doing perfectly thanks to Zilla’s dedication to her furbaby’s well-being.

Zilla had to wait three days before she could bring Lucy home from the adoptee. During this time, Zilla read up on hydrocephalus and made sure she was ready for her baby’s new arrival.

“I began reading everything I could about hydrocephalus and all possible outcomes. I looked for the best veterinarian neurological center in the country and I already started setting up a fund to pay for her surgery—if needed—or medication.”

Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat
Source:
Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat

Lucy was two months old when she finally arrived at her new home with Zilla. Two other rescue cats were awaiting her arrival. But Zilla was understandably nervous.

“Her future was uncertain.”

Zilla’s heart was broken when she cried nonstop for the first few days with her new family. She closely monitored the baby’s condition and was quite concerned when she realized that the kitten hadn’t emptied her bowels for a few days.

They headed to the vet who explained the kitten would need eye drops for the rest of her life and since X-rays showed she had an empty tummy; she likely was hiding her poop somewhere in her new home, the vet said.

Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat
Source:
Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat

Sadly, many people opt to euthanize their pets when they have a health condition like this. But Zilla wasn’t about to give up on her new girl.

So she took Lucy to a different vet who accurately diagnosed her and helped jumpstart the pooh process.

“She practically leaked poop 24/7 for more than two weeks straight. I was putting her to sleep in a tiny diaper and I was always holding her.”

Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat
Source:
Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat

While Zilla spent a considerable amount of time caring for Lucy, one wonderful thing came out of it…

They bonded beautifully.

Once Lucy conquered the digestive issue, Zilla took her to an eye specialist who investigated her condition further and discovered that her hydrocephalus caused her skull to grow into an unusual shape and forced her eyelids to irritate her corneas.

Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat
Source:
Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat

The specialist was able to repair her eyes so she didn’t need a lifetime of eye drops.

“She is more delicate than a ‘normal’ cat. But it isn’t always a death sentence. Like humans, pets can have disabilities but live happy lives and they can give as much love as any other pet, if not more.”

Through all of her health issues, Lucy came to be known affectionately as “bat girl.” She also created a social media account for Lucy where people around the world quickly fell in love with the kitten with the exotic look. In fact, she has more than 27,000 followers.

Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat
Source:
Instagram/Lucy the Bat Cat

Even though Zilla must keep close watch over Lucy in case another health issue crops up, she encourages her little feline to live life to the fullest. Lucy loves people and gets a thrill out of going for walks.

“She loves going out. She sits in a baby stroller or inside a bag and enjoys the view. Every time we go out, she tries to sneak inside one of the two.”

What an incredible little girl with the most striking look! We wish her years of good health!

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