A FIFE kitten has found a new lease of life after corrective facial surgery.
Mr Norris was born missing the front right section of his upper lip, gum and palette.
Vets advised he be put down as they believed the deformity would mean he would be unable to feed from his mother.
But the team at the Sunny Harbour Cat Rescue in Fife managed to hand-raise him and he has now undergone life-changing surgery at just over a year old.
The procedure involved removing several teeth from around his nose and upper gum, and his canines cut down. He then underwent facial reconstruction to close the gap around his mouth.
Owner Sarah Ross from the rescue centre said that the surgery will “drastically improve” his quality of life and that he is currently recovering well.
She said: “The area around his mouth was always getting inflamed as there was nothing to stop debris from what he ate being pushed up the nose.
“He’s two weeks on from the surgery now and it will really give him a new lease of life when he fully recovers.
“He’s such a plucky cat and is even the rescue centre’s mascot now. He has a massive following of people who all love him and want to know how he gets on.
“The surgery wasn’t done for cosmetic reasons, but to make sure his discomfort was reduced. There were no complications during the procedure, and we expect he’ll make a full recovery.”
She added: “When he was born we adapted a feeding method from an elongated teat and syringe.
“If you couldn’t see his deformity you really would not think he was any different from any other cat and he has adapted to every hurdle throughout his life with ease.
“His nickname is Ninja Cat because he has a tendency of flinging himself around and landing on people’s shoulders.
“What the surgeons did was amazing – he will lead a much better life now.”
Mr Norris – who was named after the Harry Potter cat Mrs Norris – went under the knife on 12th March after international input from veterinary soft tissue and and maxillofacial surgeons.
The surgery was performed by leading soft tissue expert Liz Welsh of Vets Now Referrals, with Norman Johnson at his clinic in North Berwick.
His appearance is now remarkably different and his surgeons anticipate a full recovery and a much improved quality of life.
