Armondo and his sister Storm were rescued recently from back gardens in Fenham, they were the two survivors of a litter of three kittens born outside to a feral mother. She herself was born yards away just the year before!

Armondo was rescued with noisy breathing, he was treated initially for suspected cat flu, then rhinitis, but did not make any improvements.

He still has a constant bunged up, snuffly nose. The vets have tested him to rule out feline leukemia, which has come back negative. They then recommended that he had sedation to investigate inside his nose. Because of his age, we thought it is well worth it to see if he can have a more comfortable life.

He had an anaesthetic and flexible camera (endoscope) was passed under his soft palate to check for any lumps or foreign bodies. A pink mass was seen, he then had a CT scan performed to assess the mass further. The photos show the large, white mass present (marked with blue line) in the nasopharynx causing almost complete obstruction. The whole of his airway should appear black on the scan. Until we have a biopsy we don't have a definitive diagnosis, but as Armondo is a kitten, this mass is most likely to be a polyp. Nasopharyngeal polyps tend to originate from the inner part of the cat's ear and causing breathing problems and sometimes ear disease too. They can be removed surgically and Armondo should have resolution of his signs with surgery and hopefully will get a lovely new home.

This will require a specialist surgery at Moorview Referrals (Northumberland business park), although risky, it will be life changing for Armondo. If left, it will only continue to grow and make his breathing more difficult.

Despite being born outdoors, with no human contact, he is the friendliest of cats and is always pleased to see anybody! He loves attention, is very playful and the vets were surprised that he is so active. His sister Storm doing a great job of keeping him entertained and keeping him company.

We have already paid £1,160 from our Vet fund, but need donations to help cover the rest of the cost, which may be approximately £2,000.

Any donations towards his treatment will be greatly appreciated and give Armondo a better quality of life.