Texas A&M Veterinarians Help Tiny Kitten Get Her Voice Back

Story by Michaela Dunn ‘26, VMBS Marketing & Communications

August 13, 2025

Veterinary experts used an advanced surgery and collaborative care to restore a young cat’s jaw function and quality of life.

From the moment her stray family was found, Skittles, a 6-month-old tabby, was no ordinary kitten. Unlike her siblings, she was noticeably smaller and struggled to eat because of what appeared to be a serious mouth injury.

At the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’  Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH), a team of specialists — including Dr. Adriana Regalado, an assistant professor of dentistry, and Dr. Audrey Cook, a professor of internal medicine and interventional radiology — worked together to provide the advanced medical care Skittles needed to eat, meow, and play like a normal kitten.

With her big eyes, crooked grin, and determination, Skittles has proven to be a fighter, overcoming every obstacle in her path.

A Challenging Case

Audrey Mohan, Skittle’s owner, never intended to have a cat. But after feeding a family of strays on her fiancé’s land, she noticed one kitten was in distress.

“She wasn’t doing well. She was lethargic and struggling to drink water,” Mohan said. “So, I decided to take her to an animal hospital.”

At less than 1 pound, Skittles was too small for flea medicine and extremely low in red blood cells. On top of this, she had clearly suffered an injury of some kind; one of her front legs was infected and swollen to three times its normal size.

A local veterinarian performed an amputation of the leg, but, soon, an even bigger issue became apparent.

“About a month after the amputation surgery, she started to lose function in her jaw and the only way she could eat was by sticking her tongue in and out of her mouth to lick food,” Mohan said. “That’s when we were sent to a specialist, who then referred us to Texas A&M.”

Finding Answers

When Skittles arrived at the SATH, she was evaluated by the Dentistry Service, where Regalado discovered a complex issue — her jaw was locked shut on one side and fractured on the other. 

Clearly, Skittles had experienced a serious injury at some point in her young life, but it was impossible to know exactly what happened. No matter what the cause was, the most important thing was finding a way to improve her quality of life.

“Because Skittles was growing, the healing process from when she broke her jaw happened very quickly, but, unfortunately, it healed when the bones weren’t aligned properly,” Regalado said. “The upper jaw and lower jaw fused together into one solid bone, completely locking her mouth shut.”

Skittles desperately needed surgery to unlock her jaw, but because of her small size, the procedure would be especially challenging, requiring a team of specialists and advanced equipment to ensure a successful outcome.

“Skittles was tiny. That type of surgery at that age becomes risky,” Regalado said. “We are working near important parts, like the brain, major blood vessels, and nerves. Instead of cutting the joint and risking unintended damage, we chose to remove a piece of the lower jaw to allow easier movement.”

Anesthesia was another major hurdle. With Skittles’ jaw locked, placing a breathing tube was nearly impossible. 

“Normally when a patient is anesthetized, we open the mouth and place a breathing tube right away,” Cook said. “But with Skittles, we couldn’t open her mouth at all, so we had to take a different approach to keep her safe.” 

Using one of the hospital’s smallest endoscopes, the team was able to navigate through a tiny gap on the side of her mouth to locate her airway. From there, they gently threaded a guide wire into the airway and slid the breathing tube over it — a process called scope-assisted intubation. 

“These are challenging cases because if we can’t secure the airway right away, we can’t use our equipment to breathe for the patient during surgery,” Cook said. “We had a detailed plan in place and coordinated closely with anesthesia and dentistry to make sure everything went smoothly.” 

The complex procedure, which lasted three hours, required precision and the collaboration of multiple specialists in dentistry, anesthesiology, radiology, and internal medicine.

A New Life, A New Sound

When Skittles woke up from surgery, she meowed for the first time in months.

“She had meowed when her jaw was open as a little kitten but when it locked shut, she couldn’t make a sound,” Mohan said. “After surgery, she opened her mouth, yawned, and meowed.”

With Skittles’ jaw successfully treated, she made a full recovery. Today, her jaw has regained its function, allowing her to eat and drink with ease, as she enjoys her new life as a cherished house cat. 

While her tongue sticks out due to her misaligned jaw, it has only added to her charm.

“She loves to play, and she does such funny things all the time,” Mohan said. “She’ll run right in front of you and roll on her back because she wants you to pet her stomach.”

Thanks to the kindness of her caretakers and the exceptional skill of her Texas A&M veterinarians, Skittles now enjoys a happy, playful life as a cherished member of the family.

“Skittles’ recovery was a true team effort,” Regalado said. “Every single person involved — including Skittles’ owner and all our medical staff — played a role in her survival.”

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

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