A kitten came with a little white beard that gradually disappeared as she got back on her feet.
Late last month, Shelby Thorpe, the founder of Shelby's Kitten Safehouse (in Portland, Oregon), took in a tiny kitten named Flower that needed critical care.
"Flower came to me when a vet friend of mine asked if I could take two bottle babies that had been surrendered to the county shelter," Shelby told Love Meow.
Both kittens were in poor shape, and despite their best efforts to save them, Flower became the sole survivor. "I knew she would be okay when she started eating from the bottle willingly."
Flower came with a cute white chin that looked like a beard, and salt and pepper fur around her belly and limbs. "Her little white beard was likely fever (or stress) coat," Shelby shared with Love Meow.
The condition can occur when the cat mother is sick or under stress during pregnancy. In Flower's case, the pigments hadn't been properly deposited in her chin fur and a few other areas of her coat.
She also came with an eye infection (neonatal ophthalmia) that needed to be treated immediately. "Sometimes infections develop behind their eyelids, and if left untreated, can cause serious damage and vision loss."
Shelby cleaned her eyes by applying a warm compress. After days of round-the-clock feedings and painstaking care, she was able to save the kitten's sight.
Flower gained a voracious appetite, lots of energy, and a chonky, healthy belly in just one week.
She became very active and curious about her surroundings, and would switch on her purr motor as soon as she was touched. "She's feisty and doesn't let anything stop her from getting what she wants," Shelby told Love Meow.
As the kitten continued to hit one milestone after another, the silver-grey fur gradually turned darker as the pigments began to kick in. The little white beard slowly vanished over the course of a few weeks.
Watch Flower the kitten in this cute video:
"Flower is doing amazing. You'd never know she had such terrible eye infections by looking at her eyes now. Her little white beard has disappeared almost completely."
Knowing how much Flower enjoys having a constant companion, Shelby introduced her to another foster kitten, Polar. The older kitty took Flower under his wing, showed her the ropes, and egged her on when they played and wrestled.
"She loves playing with her older foster brother and climbing up onto my bed for snuggles," Shelby shared with Love Meow.
"She is going to be one tough cookie after growing up wrestling with a cat more than three times her size. These two are such an adorable pair. Polar has decided he is her 'mother'."
Flower has come a long way since she was rescued as an orphan. She has blossomed into a beautiful young lady who is eager to be loved and adored.
Share this story with your friends. Follow updates on Flower and Shelby's fosters on Facebook and Instagram @fosterkittenlove.
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