When Susan Sczepanski first started taking care of Cocoa Puff, a fluffy black kitten, she didn’t think he’d stay with her forever. Susan, who has looked after more than 300 cats from Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden, Colorado, thinks Cocoa Puff is a sweet, loving cat.
Cocoa Puff went to the vet for a checkup when he was nine months old. They found out he had a heart murmur and sent him to Dr. Geri Lake-Bakaar, a special heart doctor for animals. She did some tests, like an echocardiogram, to see what was wrong with his heart.
Dr. Lake-Bakaar found out that Cocoa Puff had a birth defect called ‘Tetralogy of Fallot,’ which makes it hard for his heart to pump blood properly. But, luckily, his heart was still working quite well despite the problem.
Instead of surgery, Dr. Lake-Bakaar decided to keep checking Cocoa Puff’s heart regularly with echocardiograms to make sure he stayed healthy.
A few years later, Cocoa Puff had an accident and hurt his legs. He had to have surgery to fix them, but because of his heart condition, it was risky. Dr. Lake-Bakaar checked his heart again to make sure he could handle the surgery.
The surgery went well, and Cocoa Puff recovered fine. He still gets regular checkups for his heart, but overall, he’s doing great.
Susan says if it wasn’t for the special vet, Cocoa Puff might not be alive today. She’s grateful for the care he received and is happy to have him as part of her family.
