A tiny ginger kitten with a missing foot couldn't stop thanking his rescuers after he was saved from living as a stray.
Meet Quinton the cat!
Ten months ago, a little kitten was spotted wandering on the streets with a limp without a mother in sight. The little stray was rescued by Best Friends Animal Society and taken into the Los Angeles kitten nursery. For the first time in a long while, he felt loved and couldn't stop meowing with gratitude.
"The skinny orphan kitten was about five weeks old with a missing back foot and matted fur, but nothing could stop his sweetness from shining through," Barbara Williamson of Best Friends Animal Society told Love Meow.
As soon as the little ball of fur arrived in the nursery, he spoke loudly in his raspy meow, telling everyone how happy he was to have food and a warm bed. [Scroll down for video]
Samantha Bell, cat behavior and enrichment lead at the Best Friends Pet Adoption, took the lovable kitten home to foster. "Quinton honestly was the sweetest kitten I ever met and I've met thousands. He was constantly purring and making biscuits. He was pure love," Samantha said.
The little guy had the time of his life cavorting with the resident cats in his foster home and snuggling with his human companions while blaring that purr motor and kneading away.
Since Quinton's leg with the missing foot developed sores, infection, and swelling, and would split because the skin was so thin there, the Best Friends veterinary team decided that amputation would be the best choice for the little guy to ensure the best quality of life.
When he woke up from the surgery, the grateful little ginger purred up a storm. "He handled it like a champ! As soon as he came out of anesthesia, Quinton was purring and making biscuits," Samantha added.
Samantha continued fostering Quinton to help him recover. "Being in a home is less stressful than a shelter environment and less stress leads to faster healing all around," she said.
"Quinton also had three cat friends and lots of enrichment to keep his spirits up and his mind active while he healed."
With all the love surrounding him, the 3-legged wonder cat simply blossomed.
Before they knew it, little Quinton crept his way into someone's heart. Samantha's mother, Shirley, fell in love with the sweet kitten and couldn't see herself part with him.
On June 9, 2016, she made him a permanent part of their family.
"He's doing great and will be one year old in April. He can run like the wind. You'd never know his leg was missing," Shirley told Love Meow.
"When I talk to him he rolls over on his back and makes air biscuits like he did as a baby! If I tap my lap he jumps right up every time," Shirley said.
Quinton is all grown up now, and he is still as vocal as he was as a kitten. Every morning he greets his humans and tells them in his adorable raspy meow how grateful he is to have a forever loving home.
Watch the story in this cute video:
Share this story with your friends. If you would like to support their rescue efforts, click here to see how you can help. If you are interested in adopting kitties like Quinton, click here to see more.
Follow Quinton and his adventures on Instagram @yohananddesmond. Follow Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook.
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