A stray cat and her litter of three were brought in to a shelter in Houston, Texas. Two of the kittens came with just three paws.
Staff at Barc Animal Shelter (in Houston, Texas) reached out to their partner rescuers at Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue (RMFR) in Denver, Colorado as the kittens needed special care.
"They called us and let us know that they received a mother and litter in that included two kittens that had part of their left back leg missing. This could have been from a bite or getting caught in something," Anna Suda of RMFR told Love Meow.
The rescue recognized the urgency of their condition and offered to take them so they could start them on treatment and provide medical attention they desperately needed.
"At this time, the kittens were only two weeks old roughly. We wanted to ensure we could get started on treating and caring for them immediately."
After the family of four arrived at RMFR, their Foster Coordinator took them home to work out a regimen on their treatment. They would be transferred to a long-term foster once they were stable.
The cat momma, Caress, was glad to get some help. "The mother was super focused on caring for them but also fine with us handling her babies. She's a great mother."
The kittens (Crissy, Crawford, Cassidy) have a lot of growing to do. Despite missing a paw, Crissy and Crawford don't let anything stop them.
The 3-pawed kitties will undergo surgery on their impacted limbs to prevent infections once they are big enough.
Laura Hernandez, a foster volunteer, stepped up to be their caretaker for the rest of their foster journey and recovery after surgery.
Crissy and Crawford are playful and rambunctious just like any 4-legged kitten. "The two babies with a missing leg walk and play around like normal. They're a bit more clumsy but they're getting a hang of things," Laura told Love Meow.
Watch this little family in this adorable video:
"All the kittens love getting picked up and pet. As of right now, their eyes are slowly changing colors. We can't wait to see what their permanent colors will be!"
"Momma is very affectionate with people, she loves to show off her babies and purr loudly every time you pet her."
She is teaching her babies skills - how to be a big kitty. The trio follows in their mom's paw-steps, growing in size and feline wisdom.
"Once they have their surgery (and are spayed/neutered), they will go back into foster for two weeks until they are fully healed. They will then be ready for adoption."
This special little family is now thriving in foster care thanks to their rescuers who went the extra mile to save them so they could all have a chance at a forever home.
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