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MSPCA raises money for stray kitten in need of life-saving heart surgery

10-week-old kitten Kevin is set to undergo heart surgery this week.Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff

A stray kitten with a serious heart condition is going under the knife this week, and the MSPCA is raising money to help with the costs of the lifesaving operation, officials said.

Kevin is a 10-week-old kitten who has been diagnosed with patent ductus arteriosus, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said in a statement.

“PDA is a pretty scary condition and basically it means that a blood vessel in his heart did not close properly after birth, which leads to congestive heart failure at a very young age, which is often fatal,” Joseph Zarin, a veterinarian at the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center, said in the statement. “The good news for Kevin is that surgery can substantially improve the quality of his life and in some cases can even cure the condition outright.”

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Kevin, along with his brother Buzz, was scooped up from the street in Dorchester on Sept. 3 by a good Samaritan, and brought to the MSPCA animal hospital in Jamaica Plain.

His surgery, which costs $2,700, is scheduled for later this week. Kevin is tiny, making the surgery difficult, but veterinarians are expecting a good outcome as Kevin is otherwise healthy, the MSPCA said.

The MSPCA’s Spike’s Fund, which covers medical costs for homeless animals before they are put up for adoption, is running low this year due to the number of animals that have required medical attention, the MSPCA said.

Kevin is a social, curious, and outgoing kitten who climbs over everyone, the MSPCA said. This is surprising as he was born into a feral cat colony, a group of cats who live outside and avoid humans.

After his surgery, Kevin will be put up for adoption along with his much shyer brother. Those interested in adopting either Kevin or Buzz can email adoption@mspca.org. The siblings are not too attached, and can be adopted together or separately, the MSPCA said.

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Anyone who wishes to donate can do so here.

Maria Lovato can be reached at maria.lovato@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @maria_lovato99.