A school teacher from Maui, Hawaii was on her way to yard duty when she heard a kitten's cry. She traced the sound and found a tiny ball of fur whose eyes were severely infected.
She couldn't leave her there as the kitten wouldn't be able to survive on her own.
It was three weeks ago, when the kitten's meow led the teacher, Kimberly, to find her. "I turned around and found her alone, with her eyes stuck shut. I grabbed her and found a beach towel in my car, and stuck her in a box," Kimberly told Love Meow.
The kitten was about four weeks old and very skinny, weighing only nine ouches. The teacher named her Pretzel and took her home so she would have someone to care for her.
Kimberly began treatment for her eyes and bottle fed her around the clock. "Our morning and night routines (consisted of) soft food, KMR, then antibiotics for the body and eyes."
As soon as Pretzel settled into her new home, Kimberly's dog, Morty, came right over to greet the tiny newcomer. "We were nervous how Morty was going to react to the kitten," Kimberly told Love Meow.
To their surprise, the friendly canine wanted to help the kitten by licking her face and following her around the house.
"The dog and the cat love each other. Pretzel definitely thinks Morty is her 'mom'. He's so gentle with her."
When Pretzel got back on her paws, she began to explore her new abode while Morty kept an eye on her, making sure she was safe.
Pretzel became bigger, stronger and more curious every day.
She climbed everything she could lay her paws on, and that's when she discovered Bird TV.
She used her new-found energy to climb all over her canine brother.
Morty tolerates her every antic and constantly tries to groom her like a cat mother would.
The mischievous kitten adores Morty and likes to wrestle with his paws to demonstrate how tough she is.
"Now the two wrestle until they are tired and then they cuddle and nap," Kimberly told Love Meow.
A handful of mischief!
Pretzel's eyes cleared up, and she doubled her weight and tripled her energy.
The little mischief-maker is constantly planning her next plot.
Pretzel needed a family and Morty wanted a friend.
They found each other and have been inseparable ever since.
Pretzel is now seven weeks old, weighing about a pound. She's come a long way since the day she was rescued.
The little climber is thriving at her forever home with a protective canine brother who loves her to bits.
Little mischief maker! Follow Pretzel and Morty on Instagram @pretzelthekitten
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