Two kittens cheer each other on as they scoot their way to a warm home.
Abby Meltzer, a foster carer based in Washington D.C. was contacted about a litter of kittens that had been brought into a shelter. They were just a few days old and in desperate need of bottle feedings.
"I picked them up the same day. There were three of them, and one sadly didn't make it," Abby shared with Love Meow. "I noticed right away that they moved oddly, mostly scooting from their back legs with their arms immobile at their sides."
Poki who was the bigger of the two, clung to his sister Appa for comfort.
Poki took to the bottle right away while Appa needed assistance to help her eat through tube-feeding.
Despite being so little, Appa was brave and adventurous, and wanted to explore outside her nest. "She may be the runt but she's ahead of the curve."
With supportive care and lots of love and encouragement, the kittens started filling out and getting stronger each day.
Despite having little mobility in their front arms, the kittens were determined to move around their nest. They used their torsos and back legs to push themselves forward, and even tried to zoom around in their incubator.
"I did physical therapy with them five times a day. Around 1.5 weeks, they both started using their front paws," Abby told Love Meow.
"Once they got a little older their mobility got better but I noticed they were shakier than you'd expect for kittens of their age."
The kittens were a bit unsteady on their paws, but nothing could deter them from having fun. Appa the sassy one had a wide range of meows "from the silent killers to the mini meows to the proud lion roars."
Watch Poki and Appa in this video:
"After every feeding I let them wander around for about 5-10 minutes outside the incubator to stretch their limbs and get them moving," Abby shared.
At three weeks old, the kittens graduated into their own playpen where they could scamper around and play to their hearts' content. Being a little wobbly didn't seem to bother them at all.
They were so thrilled to have plenty of space to run around, wrestle with each other and create all sorts of antics.
"They were still wobbly at four weeks but we kept working on stretching their limbs and encouraging them to play and climb," Abby told Love Meow.
"Both kittens show signs of what is called Flat Chested Kitten Syndrome. It's where the chest cavity wall is essentially smooshed."
While Appa has mild deformities which shouldn't affect her quality of life, her brother Poki has a more pronounced case and will be getting specialized care from the veterinary team.
At six weeks old, they have blossomed into fearless, rambunctious kittens. Poki has mastered the art of climbing and never ceases to amaze his people with what he can do.
The two siblings follow in each other's paw-steps and are so happy as a bonded pair. Poki is content having his sister by his side, cheering him on as he continues his journey to recovery.
Share this story with your friends. Follow updates on the kittens and Abby's fosters on Instagram @catsandfrittatas.
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