Pua the kitten was born as the only baby. Now, he is learning to be a cat with the help of a former foster.
A pregnant cat was rescued from a hoarding situation and brought to a shelter in New Jersey two months ago. She gave birth to a single kitten in the middle of January and was in need of help.
Riley, the founder of A Bigger Purpose Kitten Rescue in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, took the mother and son into her care. The momma cat, Moana, was unsocialized and very fearful of people. To help her decompress, they provided a quiet place for the duo and plenty of food for the mom.
With a comfortable room and good nutrition, Moana did a wonderful job nursing her only kitten, Pua.
When the ginger boy was 2 1/2 weeks old, the cat mom fell ill and was diagnosed with feline calicivirus. She became unable to care for her kitten, and both of them needed medical attention.
"The treatment that she was on, wasn't safe for the kitten to nurse, so he turned into a bottle baby," Riley told Love Meow.
Pua who was also sneezy and had a small ulcer on his tongue, was tube-fed for a few days before he was able to latch onto a bottle.
While his mom was getting the best care for her recovery, the kitten was hand-reared every few hours. Riley took him everywhere with her to make sure that he was looked after around the clock.
"He was always a loud baby which showed he wanted to live," Riley added.
When little Pua was big enough to meet other kittens, Riley's resident kitty Coconut immediately offered a helping paw. Just like Pua, Coconut came to the rescue as a little singleton.
"Coconut was found in an auto-shop parking lot only a few hours old. He battled a severe upper respiratory infection, and we thought we would lose him many times," Riley told Love Meow.
The little fighter eventually bounced back and crept his way into Riley's heart.
Coconut is usually skeptical of new kittens at first, and it takes him a while to warm up to them. But somehow, Pua gave him a different vibe.
Watch Pua and his journey in this video:
When they locked eyes with each other for the first time, Coconut immediately took to the kitten and started grooming him.
"They both bonded over the fact that they were raised as bottle babies."
"They constantly chase each other, and Pua loves to pounce on Coconut. He is now the sweetest fluff ball and thinks he's so ferocious and feisty," Riley shared with Love Meow.
Coconut insists on cleaning Pua from head to toe after every feeding. He grabs the kitten and won't let him escape when a mandatory bath is in session. "He licks off Pua's milk mustache right after."
If Riley has the kitten for too long, Coconut will try stealing him from her for playtime and wash his face clean.
"Every time, I set Pua down, Coconut comes running from the other end of the room. He's like a mother cat, and scruffs kittens when they run away from him."
Pua adores Coconut and follows him around, mimicking his every move. It's as if the big kitty is showing the little buddy the ropes and teaching him how to be a proper cat.
The sweet ginger is thriving with a friend that watches over him every step of the way.
Momma Moana has recovered after weeks of treatment, and is ready to retire from motherhood once and for all. Homeward Bound Pet Adoption (HBNJ) has taken her into their socialization program to help her learn to trust.
"We are so happy and thankful to HBNJ for taking Moana into their program to give her the best shot at the life she deserves," Riley said.
Pua is six weeks old now and blossoming into a rambunctious ginger cat. He is so happy to have a big brother who can keep up with his unbridled energy and showers him with love and licks.
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