Injured kitten with broken paw (with updates)

This is a request from Sofie:


My name is Sofie Shah. I came across your website animalcare.my a few months ago and thought that what you’re doing is very noble indeed. But, little did I know I would be one of those people asking for your help today.


My family collects and keep stray cats, and we’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember. Many of them simply come by our house in search of food (we serve our cats outdoors, and this attracts other felines). Other than that, we also collect abandoned / lost kittens and juvenile cats whenever we find them. Currently I have 8 cats under my care, four of them hand-raised since they were two weeks old (mother was a stray, died by poison).


Recently I collected another cat, a jet-black long-hair about a year old, from the MRR2 freeway heading towards Ampang. Luckily i was in a traffic jam, and that gave me enough time to notice him limping along the freeway divider, tongue lolling in the hot sun. I was afraid he would become disoriented and head out towards the moving cars, so I pulled over quickly to catch him. Unfortunately, he went for the shade under my car, and it took another very nice family to try to get him to come out before he decides to brave the oncoming traffic!


I took him to a vet to check out his limp right front paw. He also had a nasty abrasion on his nose, and a small cut on his head by the left ear. He appears to belong to someone, since he has near-perfect set of teeth and very nice fur coat. My guess would be that he somehow managed to roll down the owner’s car window and jump out~ it would explain his presence on the freeway, and he actually DID roll down the back window of my Myvi after we caught him!


The doctor could not be certain whether his front paw is broken, or dislocated. Only and x-ray could tell. I asked her for a financial estimate to fix the break, and the bill came out close to RM 800.


Under normal circumstances, my mom (the biggest cat lover in our family) would consider footing the bill. However, a week beforehand, one of the kittens under our care came down with a case of kidney stones (crystals in the urethra) which costed us RM1000 to treat. Add that to the catfood and other monthly necessities, we’re running out of funding to support the medical bill for our newfound friend.


My search for the owners have so far turned up nothing. I’m afraid if I wait too long the broken hand will set, and he’ll limp for life. Is there any way you could help me?
Thank you so much,
Sofie
 
I’ve spoken to our vet and he says he may be able to evaluate the case from photographs.  So, I’ve just received the photos (below) and will now be going to be vet’s to see what we can learn from the photos.  I’ve told Sofie we will subsidise whatever treatment is needed.
Updates later, if any.  I do wonder if the vet can see anything from these photos as the cat is jet-black….

3:40pm
Hey folks, I’m back from the vet’s and guess what….nothing needs to be done at all!  The vet zoomed in into the photos and after close and careful observation, he said it’s probably either an old injury or a deformity.  Sofie told me in a separate email that the cat is using the paw and walking around quite happily.  That being the case, it’s probably exactly what the vet said – old injury or deformity.  

But the vet said to check two things:

1.  Are there any external wounds?
2.  Pinch the paw and see if the cat reacts by drawing back or biting.  If he does, the nerves are perfectly ok and nothing needs to be done!

Now, we’ll wait for Sofie to do the pinch test and if the cat reacts, our job is done!  No need to spend RM800.