A family took in a little pint-sized kitten and helped her thrive into a beautiful cat.
A pair of kittens were found outside of the Gulf Coast Humane Society in Corpus Christi, Texas earlier this year. Shelter staff were shocked by just how tiny they were. The kittens, both preemies, were in critical condition and needed specialized care.
They reached out to Coastal Bend Cat Rescue for help since they had limited resources for bottle kittens. "We immediately said yes to taking them in," Lindsay Haglund of Coastal Bend Cat Rescue told Love Meow. "We are a foster-based rescue that focuses on street cat rescue, and we work closely with the local shelters in our area."
The feline siblings, Itsy and Bitsy, were the smallest kittens they had ever seen. "They were born prematurely, most likely to a stray cat. A very generous individual donated an incubator to our team, specifically to be used for Itsy and Bitsy to give them a fighting chance."
Kindell Mills-Jabsen, an experienced neonatal foster volunteer, took the kittens into her home and started round-the-clock tube-feedings. Despite her incredible efforts to try to save them both, Itsy, the smaller of the two, lost his fight a week later. Bitsy the sister hung on like a warrior and refused to give up.
"From the beginning we truthfully did not think either one would survive, then Bitsy really surprised us. She fought so hard to stay healthy and strong," Lindsay shared with Love Meow.
"Just drinking formula from a syringe quickly exhausted her, so Kindell had to feed her in one hour increments to make sure she was getting enough nourishment."
The kitten's mouth was too small to suckle from a bottle, so the foster family used a tiny syringe to feed her for the next several weeks.
The tiny calico grew extremely slowly but she was determined. Each day, she got a bit stronger and could fill her belly a little more.
"She would get so excited when Kindell approached the incubator to feed her, you could tell that she knew we were putting life into her and helping her."
When the kitten could finally latch onto a bottle all on her own, the whole family cheered with joy — every milestone she reached was a huge celebration.
"Every day we held our breath hoping she would make it until morning. Every time Kindell approached the incubator she didn't know what she would find, but to our surprise, Bitsy was well and fighting through things!"
The calico girl had all the odds stacked up against her, but she continued to make strides every day with her incredible resolve. As time went by, the kitten blossomed into a gorgeous, fluffy kitty.
This week, Bitsy proudly graduated from her foster program and is now ready to look for a loving home.
"Her foster family became very attached to her during the three months she was in their care. But for our team, goodbye is always the goal, and the only way we can save more," Lindsay told Love Meow.
The little preemie has flourished into a healthy, happy, full-sized calico. She has exceeded everyone's expectations and has a big personality to boot.
The little miracle kitty can't wait to find a place of her very own and a forever family to love and cuddle with.
Share this story with your friends. Bitsy is available for adoption through The Cattery Cat Shelter (in Corpus Christi, Texas). Follow Coastal Bend Cat Rescue Facebook and Instagram.
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