A little runt was barely hanging on when he was found on the side of the road along with his siblings.

What a difference a few weeks can make!

Early November, a Good Samaritan from Seattle, Washington, found a litter of kittens on the roadside without a mom. They were just skin and bones, covered in filth and starving.

Ashley Morrison, a local cat rescuer, was contacted about the kittens needing foster care. The runt of the litter was in the worst shape and barely holding up.

She quickly put the weakest kitten and a sibling in an incubator to warm up while she prepared their food. "Two of the siblings were in the pen in my office and the sickest one, who I didn't want to leave alone, was in the incubator with another sibling," Ashley said.

The kitties were so hungry that they nearly threw their entire bodies on their food. For the first time, their bellies were full.

Ashley had them dewormed and treated with antibiotics and eye ointment so they could start their recovery process.

All four kittens made it through their first night, but the runt, whom they named Licorice, was struggling. He had to be fed with a syringe every three hours and given fluids to keep him hydrated.

No one knew if he would come around but Ashley never gave up.

When she got up to feed Licorice at 5AM one morning, she was surprised to see the kitty looking up at her with his new found strength.

"I knew we had made progress. He wasn't even able to follow my finger with his eyes the day before," Ashley said. "Then when I fed him again at 8:30, he wanted to walk. He walked around my desk and the floor and even tried to use the litter box in his siblings' pen."

He got to spend time and cuddle with his siblings. When he needed rest, he was put back into his incubator. His litter mates cuddled around him, groomed him and showered him with love.

Licorice was getting better and stronger each day.

Ashley continued the overnight feeding routine to make sure that he never missed a meal.

"He needed to gain weight fast so the more food the better."

Licorice gained 100 grams in one week, and he made his Foster Mom very proud.

"Nothing is more rewarding than watching him grow when last week he couldn't even keep eye contact. This is why I do what I do."

Today, Licorice has finally reached the one-pound mark. His eyes have cleared up nicely and his fur looks healthy and very fluffy.

"When he arrived, he weighed less than half of a pound. To be starved for so long, I could feel every bone in his body. He's still thin, and I put food in front of him 5-6 times a day to make sure he eats often. He's got a lot of strength to gain but he will get there," Ashley said.

Licorice has come a long way since the day they found him. Whenever he hears Ashley's voice, he comes running.

"I came in this evening and he came out from under the dresser, his favorite napping spot, and ran over to the stool. He was ready for me to pick him up and cuddle on the couch."

Follow Ashley's foster kitties on Instagram and Facebook. If you would like to support their rescue efforts, click here to see how you can help.

Sibling love!

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