How old are you Ninja?

I am about 5 years old. My adopted birthday is October 31st, 2007

How did you get your name?

I’m very sly and sneaky, and I grew into my name more and more as I grew up.

How did you come into your parents life?

Well, when my mamma lived in a small town in Illinois she stayed with an EMT. One cold early-Winter night around 3am the EMT cam home to take out the trash, and I jumped on his ambulance to stay warm (I was just a little baby kitten then). The EMT found me (thankfully!), and brought me inside where I met my Mamma I know today.

May I ask how you are recovering from your car accident?

I’m doing really well! Really, my biggest issue is my blind eye (the right one that popped out). My eyelid grew together some to compensate where I guess it ripped. The purrents have to put eye drops in my eye everyday. I’m still a sloppy eater because I don’t have full feeling of my face.

How do you plan on celebrating the year anniversary?

Fur the anniversary of the hardest fight of my life I got to eat special nomz–really runny scrambled egges! I took an extra long nap, and everypawdy gave me lots of love and congratulations.

I saw that you have TMJ, I know people can get it, but I had no idea kitties can too, how did they find out you had it?

It was my TMJ* that snapped probably because my top and bottom jaw were fractured. I found some reading on TMJ-disorder-in cats (http://www.ehow.com/way_5380929_treatments-feline-tmj.html and http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/musculoskeletal/c_ct_temporomandibular_joint_disorders#.UPgQHuPoQ-c) that was informative.

General TMJ Information:
(taken from http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/temporomandibular-disorders )
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge joint that connects the lower jaw (mandible) to the temporal bone of the skull, which is immediately in front of the ear on each side of your head. The joints are flexible, allowing the jaw to move smoothly up and down and side to side and enabling you to talk, chew, and yawn. Muscles attached to and surrounding the jaw joint control the position and movement of the jaw.

Feline TMJ Information: 
(Taken from : http://www.ehow.com/way_5380929_treatments-feline-tmj.html#.UPgQHuPoQ-c)
The temporomandibular joint allows the jaw to open and close. Feline TMJ is a rare condition that occurs when a cat has difficulty opening or closing that joint. It is usually caused when the animal fractures its jaw but can be the result of inflammation or unusual jaw or tooth development. Feline TMJ is painful and potentially life threatening to a cat so it is imperative the cat be taken to a veterinarian's office immediately.

Feline TMJ is ideally diagnosed by a computed tomography (CT) scan because it is the most accurate type. It is wise to get a diagnosis as soon as you sense a problem because TMJ symptoms generally get worse with time. The TMJ will heal faster if treated as soon as possible. Several treatments are considered and depend on the cause of the TMJ. If the joints in the cat's jaw are not hinged together, the veterinarian will put the joints in place (sometimes using a pencil) and place a castlike muzzle on the cat for several weeks to allow the joints to heal in place. If the TMJ is caused by a tooth with abnormal growth, the tooth will be extracted. More commonly, the TMJ is caused by a fracture and, in this case, surgery is usually necessary.
Symptoms of TMJ:(taken from http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/musculoskeletal/c_ct_temporomandibular_joint_disorders#.UQGWPifomJA)
  • Difficulty opening/closing the mouth
  • Mandible bone may be out of place and visible form the side of the face (deviation of the mandible bone)
  • Pain when chewing food
  • Vocalizing, mewing while trying to eat
  • Loss of appetite

Do you require daily medical care?

The only thing “extra” that I require is eye drops every day… sometimes a few times a day if my bad eye gets dry. Sometimes I get ickies in my bad eye that have to be cleaned out. Other than that… I’m kind of a messy eater, so my sisfur doggie Laika helps clean around my bowl when I spill food.

Do you get to spend time with the other cats in the house or are you separated?

Immediately after my surgeries I had to be seperated so I wouldn’t hide under the bed, but I’ve pretty much always been with the other kitties and our GSD puppy.

Are you strictly indoors since your accident?

Absolutely! Every once in a while I can go outside if I have a leash and harness on… but that is rare.

Is there anything else you would like to share about you or your family?

I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for pure love and compassion of not only my family who fought to keep me alive from the beginning, but for all the people who started following my recovery with their positive thoughts and energies and helping my purrents pay for the medical procedures I’ve needed done.
I live with my Mamma (Elle), Dads (Yuri), GSD 2 year old doggie that just walked into our house in Ohio (Laika), 1 1/2 year old petite black kitty rescued in Illinois when she was less than a week old (Omni), and the 9 month old kittens called “the Travelin’ Trio” (before sweet black baby Tolstoy passed to the Bridge in September) one orange and one black surviving their brofur (Ginger and Mishka) that were rescued from a death row sentence all the way in North Carolina. Everyone in the family (except Laika) went on a road trip mid-2012 to go get the Trio.

Dedication:

This article is dedicated to the sweet, loving Tolstoy who left his family way too soon, fly free little one and know you are missed and will always be loved.

Author’s Note: You can keep up with Ninja B and his progress on his facebook page (check out his videos! I can’t embed them but they are cute) , donate to his chip in. Or check out his doggy sibling Laika the GSD Cat-Guard on her facebook page or what Ginger and Mishka are up to on their facebook page or donate to his chipin.    Many purrs and pets to his furfamily and his momma for sharing his story.