A kitten shows everyone what a warrior he is from being found outside as a newborn to now living the best life.
Sun Cities 4 Paws Rescue (in Arizona) received a litter of newborn kittens desperately needing help. A concerned citizen had found them in her backyard without a mother in sight.
"A panicked lady walked in the door asking for help. I ran out to the parking lot and she had three tiny babies all bundled up. They were gravely injured (likely bite wounds by another animal)," Kara Yancey of Sun Cities 4 Paws shared with Love Meow.
The rescue wasn't open at the time, but Kara and her coworker, Jon, sprang into action and took them in to get them help.
They cleaned off all the pesky fleas that had smothered the kittens, and treated them for their wounds. The little ones were cold to the touch, so they kept them warm in an incubator, and Kara took them home to continue round-the-clock feedings.
Despite their very best efforts to save them all, two of the kittens (Morgan and Watson) lost their fight. The sole survivor, Mendel, perked up overnight. The little palm-sized wonder was determined to live.
"After some antibiotics, several baths, probiotics, and TLC, he was eating well, gaining weight, and becoming a very vocal little guy," Kara told Love Meow.
When his eyes were opened, his meow also intensified at feeding time. "Every few hours, my alarm would go off and I'd look over to see his curious little face in the incubator window looking at me as if to say, 'Where's my bottle?'"
Mendel was gifted a faux mama (a cat toy with a heart beat) to keep him company while he snoozed away in the incubator. He enjoyed spending time with his foster mom after each meal, soaking up all the love.
Once he was big enough to move into his spacious playpen, he followed his people around the house, demanding their constant attention. As he grew, his Siamese markings started to emerge.
It took Mendel longer to find his feet due to his leg injuries, but the tenacious little guy didn't let anything stop him. He would hone his walk and try to run and climb just like any other kitten.
The warrior kitty eventually perfected his gait and continued to blossom in foster care.
Mendel met other kitties in the house and learned some important feline etiquette from them.
"He was becoming such a great cat and you'd never guess he started out in such bad shape," Kara shared with Love Meow. "He loved drinking from his bottle, getting lots of cuddles from us, and playing with our other foster kittens."
"He insisted on being held as close to your face as possible and would fall asleep with his cheek pressed to yours. He was just an absolute doll."
Mendel has a lot to say and never gets tired of sharing his daily adventures in the house.
Baby Mendel bounced back like a champ and transformed into a healthy, happy, rambunctious young cat.
"He turned into a beautiful Siamese mix cat and graduated from my foster care to the big boy kitten room at the shelter, where he was adopted by a wonderful couple," Kara shared with Love Meow.
The warrior kitty is loving his new home and already bringing so much joy to his forever family.
"Although his start in life was very rough, he became the sweetest, most affectionate, and happy little guy."
Share this story with your friends. Follow Kara's foster kitties on Instagram @azkittenfostermama.
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