A kitten who was rescued from a busy road, blossomed into a beautiful tabby cat.
A Good Samaritan saw a tiny kitten fall out of a moving vehicle on a busy road. She immediately stopped and retrieved the kitten in the nick of time.
The tabby was just 90 grams with his umbilical cord still attached. He was so small that he could fit in the palm of a hand. The kind person sought help for the kitten right away and got in touch with Nikki Martinez, an animal rescuer and a director for Hearts Alive Village.
"His (cat) mama likely put the kittens in the car engine to keep them warm and safe. He was less than 36 hours old. Amazingly, he only suffered a scratch on his nose," Nikki said.
The little one was a fighter from the start. He gobbled down the kitten formula like a champ and really enjoyed his new nest inside of a warm and cozy incubator along with a heartbeat snuggle toy.
"He was tiny and frail but so tough at the same time. I was looking for a strong name that fit him, and we thought Jed was perfect for him," Nikki added.
The tiny warrior kitty put on four grams the first night in foster care. His eyes were still closed, ears folded, but he was so happy to be cared for and have a faux mama to cling to for comfort.
"I noticed he was crying and fussy after he ate, so I picked him up and snuggled him and he started purring," Nikki said. "I took my sweatshirt off and put it in his incubator and it soothed him."
Jed was dealing with all sorts of gastrointestinal issues that kept his foster family very busy and up at night. "Motherless newborns this young are incredibly frail. The tricky part is finding out what it is, and quickly. At his size, time is our enemy and he can't stand to lose weight."
Nikki and her husband worked together as a team to closely monitor the kitten's weight while providing painstaking care and supplemental nourishment around the clock. With unwavering dedication and many sleepless nights, things began to look up for the little guy.
At 16 days old, Jed finally caught up with his weight, rocking his adorable, round belly. After every feeding, he crawled up under Nikki's chin for a snuggle and TLC.
"It was so hard for me to wake up between 2-3 AM, but this happy little boy made it all worth it," Nikki shared.
At three weeks old, Jed graduated from the incubator and moved into a mini playpen where he would start learning to use his legs to walk. He quickly figured out how to waddle and was a natural climber.
The tabby boy was thriving with a big appetite and an insatiable desire for cuddles. Over the next month, Jed flourished into a playful, rambunctious tabby boy and a full-time cuddle-bug.
Watch Jed's foster journey in this cute video:
The little palm-sized kitten blossomed into a chonky, happy cat with a big personality. It was then they knew it was time to let him spread his wings and fly.
A family with three cats fell head over heels for little Jed. Not only did they offer him a forever home, but they also adopted Butter, his feline sister from another mother, so he would always have a friend his age to play with.
"I'll miss my wild boy who loves to give hugs, but I couldn't be more thrilled for his new family. My job is done and I'm a proud foster mama," Nikki said.
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