Little Bijou was born to a stray cat mother who was rescued by Jean last fall. She is the runt of the litter and a miracle kitten. This is her story:

Written by Jean.

Little Bijou took a piece of my heart with her when she left our home. Here's how I remember it sitting here at the office: Moonshine (the stray cat mama) had three babies but then the labor stalled. About four hours later, this tiny wet, black bundle dropped onto the towel. At first it didn't move, and I assumed it had died in passage. The little thing responded to stimulation, though.  I feared for this tiny furball, the runt of the litter.

Little Bijou was the first to have a name: she was my little jewel. I knew she could easily have long-term neurologic damage from the delivery. It took extra encouragement to get her to nurse, but I made sure she got to eat her fill every day. Bijou lagged behind her siblings on walking, running, etc. She had a wobble to her gait for weeks. I put hours of special attention toward this wee one. Bijou loved nothing more than to cuddle up against me for her naps. One Sunday I finally asked my husband for permission to keep Bijou as she had nestled herself deep into my heart. My husband agreed. Within only a matter of hours, however, someone I knew would be a loving, responsible owner expressed interest in adopting both Basil (Bijou's litter mate) and Bijou. I knew it was right to let her go live with her sister. I let this amazing little girl go, and she is thriving in her new home.

Just this morning, I ran into her new owner. Both Bijou and Basil are doing fabulously well. Little Bijou has grown into a big girl who likes her lap time, content to lay low and soak in loving. She is an absolute treasure and truly appreciated in her new home.

Photos courtesy of ©Jean (flickr: wee3beasties).