A kitten was found on the porch of a home, still with her umbilical cord attached. When shelter staff received her, they noticed right away just how special she is.
A woman from Alpine, California found a tiny black and white kitten on her front porch without a mother or any siblings. San Diego Humane Society was contacted about the kitty who needed help.
"She was a little underweight for her age when she arrived and her front legs appeared to have a deformity," Jackie Noble, Kitten Nursery Manager of SDHS, told Love Meow. "When I saw a video of her, I immediately thought she would be a great fit for Orphan Kitten Club."
Jackie contacted Hannah Shaw, founder of Orphan Kitten Club, and got the kitty safely to their rescue. The little bundle of fur was just three days old and showed an amazing will to live.
"This little girl has a congenital deformity of the front legs, which twist and curve inward. Her tail is also curiously short. Aside from her physical differences, she is the most vibrant, strong newborn. She eats like a champ and purrs tenderly," Hannah wrote.
"My first step is to have a specialist diagnose her so we can envision what her future will hold, treatment wise. But she will live a happy and healthy life whether her legs are straight or twisted."
The little tuxedo was placed in an incubator to keep her warm and comfortable as kittens her age can't regulate their own body temperature.
During the first week, she was fed and cared for every two hours. "She eats about 5cc every meal, which is huge for a kitten of her size," Hannah wrote.
"This sweet newborn girl is weighed, stimulated to go potty, fed kitten formula via syringe, cleaned up with a baby wipe, and put back in her warm, cozy bed. I provide the care, she provides the appetite and the purrs."
They named her Kabu after a beautiful elephant that they met at a rescue in Thailand. Just like the kitten, the elephant lives with a front leg deformity.
"In spite of her physical differences, Kabu the elephant is a resilient and dignified individual and we feel the same of our mini Kabu," Hannah wrote.
The brave little kitty continued to make strides in foster care. She's putting on weight and getting stronger each day. Even her tail is healing beautifully.
"When we rescued her, she had about 1/3 of her tail missing. (Yesterday), the exposed bone and necrotic tissue fell off during cleaning time—leaving behind a nicely healing nub," Hannah said.
Everyone at the nursery makes sure that little Kabu is in tip-top shape by keeping her fed and happy, giving her all the care she needs and plenty of love and kisses.
Kabu is around two weeks old. She's thriving, growing by leaps and bounds and has a healthy, full, cute belly to show off.
"Most of our kittens come from shelters, who receive many many kittens like her, especially during kitten season," Hannah said. "Once they end up at a shelter, they need 24 hour specialized care, and that's what we offer here."
With help from the woman who found Kabu, San Diego Humane Society, and Orphan Kitten Club, the special little girl is on her way to a great future.
It often takes a village to rescue an animal, but it's so worth it when a kitty like Kabu gets back on their paws triumphantly.
Follow updates on Kabu on Facebook and Instagram. If you would like to support their rescue efforts, click here to see how you can help.
Kabu loves belly rubs!
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Related story: Sibling Kittens Both Born Special, Keep Each Other Safe Until Help Arrives.