Nazma with Kittu at the Bihar Veterinary College and Hospital in Patna. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Caesarean operations on humans might be common but rarely does one hear about a feline under the surgeon’s knife.

A dying cat was saved today after it delivered three dead kittens. A successful Caesarean operation at Bihar Veterinary College made this miracle possible.

Dr Archana Kumari, assistant professor-cum-junior scientist, department of surgery and radiology, clinical complex, Bihar Veterinary College, told The Telegraph: “Had it been a bit late in bringing the cat, it would have died since three kittens were already dead in the womb and toxaemia had already spread throughout the body. When the cat was brought here, it already was suffering from vaginal bleeding.”

The cat, Kittu, was brought here on Monday after an X-ray on her showed three dead kittens inside her womb. When Kittu was put on saline, a foetus came out. The next day, Kittu was operated upon and two more foetuses were taken out.

Dr Archana Kumari, the vet who conduced the surgery, dealt with cats for the first time. She had dealt with elephants, monkeys and horse earlier. Kumari said: “The half-an-hour surgery was so tough. If the amount of anaesthesia had been less, then Kittu would have gained consciousness midway through the surgery, while she could have died had anaesthesia had been more. Throughout the surgery, we kept an eye whether Kittu was breathing properly and was unconscious too.”

Kumari added: “The cat must have fought with a dog because blood had clotted inside her stomach, which might have killed the kittens. All foetuses had decomposed. So I had to perform a Caesarean to take them out.” Kumari said to save Kittu’s life, it was important to remove the uterus, as it had started rotting.

Kittu’s owner, Nazma Tabassum, almost fainted on seeing Kittu’s condition. Tabassum told The Telegraph: “I had never seen Kittu in such a condition earlier. Kittu was not at home for two days and returned on Sunday.”

Tabassum, who is extremely attached to Kittu, said: “Kittu sleeps with me and has a habit of sucking my index finger before falling asleep. After the surgery, I keep my palm on her palm at night to assure her of my presence.”