Rescuers knew they had to act when they learned that five newborn kittens, only two days old, had landed up in a remote shelter in North Carolina. The unfortunate kittens were housed in a small, chilly cage, and as young kittens are unable to generate their own heat, they needed to get out of there as soon as possible.
All five kittens will be fostered by Susan Spaulding, a dedicated foster parent and co-founder of the National Kitten Coalition. Spaulding has worked with kittens for 25 years, so she was unfazed by the bottle-feeding and constant attention the infants need to thrive.
The kittens were in incredibly poor condition when they arrived at their foster home, and unfortunately, one of them didn’t make it and passed away the next day. As discouraging as it was, Spaulding knew she couldn’t give up on the four remaining kittens.
“I honestly didn’t know what the future held, but I was going to give Bijou and her brothers lots of love and hope for the best,” Spaulding told The Dodo.
From the very beginning, Bijou, the only girl in the litter, was much smaller than her brothers. As time went on and her brothers started to grow, Bijou simply didn’t.
The National Kitten Coalition’s Rebecca Jewell told The Dodo that the remaining three male kittens “progressed regularly and moved on to rescue for adoption right on time.” “Bijou developed considerably more slowly and appeared to stop developing about 4 ounces. She would fluctuate in weight by a few grams.”
Bijou’s health suddenly deteriorated one night, and she nearly died, but she managed to survive. Bijou appeared to get stronger during the struggle, and soon after, she eventually surpassed the 5-ounce threshold.
Spaulding declared, “I was going to fight right along with Bijou as long as she was fighting and comfortable.
Bijou is now 8 and a half months old and weighs 3.3 pounds. Despite her small size, Bijou is perfectly healthy, and is still in foster care with Spaulding in Charlotte, North Carolina. Spaulding is happy to care for little Bijou as long as she needs, and everyone loves watching her grow – even if the process is a little slower than most.
“For me, every life matters,” Spaulding said. “Once a commitment is made, I don’t give up just because the road is tough – as long as the quality of life is good for the baby.”
