Fievel was just 2 days old when Emilie Rackovan met him for the first time. She could easily put the little cat, which was about the size of a mouse, in the palm of her hand.
Fievel was born with a fever coat as a result of his mother being under a great deal of stress when she was pregnant. He was also silver and scruffy, looking to Rackovan like a “baby werewolf.”
Fievel was the only one of his siblings to survive after his mother, a feral cat, gave birth prematurely and didn’t care for her kittens. Rackovan knew it would be an uphill battle for the silver baby to become a healthy cat, but she could tell he was a fighter.
“Premature kittens, in general, often do not make it, as the odds are stacked against them,” Rackovan told The Dodo. “He really is a miracle.”
Because of his small size, Fievel was unable to use a bottle for the first week he lived with his foster mother. Each and every hour of every day, Rackovan fed him by hand. Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to take on all of his care for very long.
For a different shelter, I was caring for a mother and two young children who were around Fievel’s age, so I asked if I might try introducing Fievel to them. I placed Fievel with Persephone (the mother) and the infants, and she warmed up to him right away.
Now part of a cat family, Fievel seemed at ease and quickly started to grow — and change.
Fievel’s fever coat started to grow out, revealing the kitten’s true colors. Rackovan assumed he’d be a gray and white kitten, but when Fievel was about a month old, he underwent an amazing transformation.
“I noticed the white tips on his fur starting to come through at about three weeks, but that is relatively typical of a fever coat,” Rackovan said. “Around four weeks, the roots started to turn a dark gray on his back and his legs became jet black. I still wasn’t sure if he was going to be dark gray or black.”
He’s just become deeper and darker, she continued. He being a tuxedo was something I had no knowledge about. None of my foster friend’s have ever witnessed a kitten coat transition like him, and we’re all equally as shocked.
Not only has Fievel transformed on the outside, but the once timid orphan has now become a confident, young cat.
“Fievel is just the goofiest kitten ever!” Rackovan said. “He does the ‘scary cat,’ where he arches his back and hops toward you. He likes to think he’s intimidating, so I play along!”
All of Rackovan’s foster pets and house pets get along with Fievel, but he develops a unique connection with the humans he encounters.
He screams out if he can’t locate me and purrs as soon as he sees you, according to Rackovan. “He comes racing and wants to be held when I say, ‘Fievel!’”
Fievel will be adopted into his permanent home after getting neutered, where he will continue to surprise and delight whoever is fortunate enough to have him.
