Three little 6-week-old kittens were found in a field by a friendly farmer in California. They were sick, covered with fleas and very timid.
The farmer scooped them up and rushed them to get help.
He brought the kittens to the vet to have them spayed/neutered but only to discover that they were too young. The vet's office reached out to the Cat House on the Kings, a rescue group and cat sanctuary in Parlier, California, and asked if they could find the kittens a foster home.
A volunteer of the rescue sprang into action and went to pick up the feline siblings. "Step one was to give them all baths to try to get some of the fleas off them," Harvie Schreiber, foster mom, told Love Meow.
After the bath, the kittens were given medication as well as antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection. "We waited 48 hours and gave them a second bath to get the flea bodies off them."
This tiny trio graduated from their nursery crate (overnight) and moved into a larger room with plenty of comfy warm blankets. "The ringleader (the calico) was the first to hop out, followed quickly by her orange brother and her Siamese sister," Harvie added.
The calico was not shy about voicing her "opinions" and showing her cattitude by meowing and hissing during baths. But when she was finally flea-free, she perked up and was eager for affection.
The sweet ginger boy was given some much-needed TLC after getting his eyes treated.
The fear quickly faded away, and he became more confident.
Once the kittens experienced love, they couldn't get enough of it. "The first one to purr was the calico. She was also the hissiest. She seems happiest being held and is the one who meows (presumably for her mom) when we say good night," Harvie told Love Meow.
The calico, aka the Chief of Mischief, is leading her siblings on a mission to create all sorts of antics. "Cheddar is the orange boy, Brie is the Siamese mix female, and Parmesan is the fluffy dilute calico girl."
It's been five days since they were rescued, and the kittens are thriving and learning to use their voices.
Brie has come out of her shell and discovered her purr-motor.
"When they arrived, they were underweight and a bit small for their age," Harvie added.
"Now they are eating like champs and they are already having a blast climbing the cat tower and playing with toys, poof balls, and shoelaces."
The sweet trio has put on healthy weight, and they are packed with energy.
What a difference five days can make!
Share this story with your friends. Follow updates on Cheddar, Brie and Parmesa on Facebook. If you would like to support their rescue efforts, click here to see how you can help.
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