A kitten went from stumbling around to running and jumping again in just a few weeks.
Cheeky, a tortoiseshell kitten, was two weeks old when she arrived at Cat Adoption Team (CAT) with her siblings. They were in need of a bottle feeder, and Laura, a volunteer of the shelter, stepped up to help.
When she went to pick up Cheeky and her two ginger littermates, Chippy and Moppet, the tortie immediately stood out. She was the tiniest of the three but equipped with a big set of pipes.
“The kittens were doing well with me for two weeks, bottle feeding every couple hours, growing and starting to play with each other,” Laura told us.
On their four-week birthday, Laura noticed that Cheeky would stumble and fall over occasionally.
“The next day, it was worse and she could hardly walk. I took her to CAT’s onsite hospital and she was put on antibiotics.”
Based on her symptoms, the vet started Cheeky on treatment for toxoplasmosis for the next 28 days. Despite struggling to move and hold her head up, the tortie was incredibly brave and determined.
She would eat to her heart’s content at every feeding, trying her best to get big and strong. Laura assisted her to the litter box and helped her stay steady during feeding.
“After the first week or two, we started to gradually see improvements.”
The moment Cheeky got some pep in her legs, she tried to sit up, move around and even play with her siblings. She still tipped over but was more confident with her balance, more steady in her “loafing” and more stable with her posture while taking her bottle.
Nothing seemed to stop her from trying to play and wrestle with her littermates. If she took a tumble, she would try again.
Cheeky was motivated to stay active having her siblings scamper around her. She tried to keep up with them, and even rediscovered her purr in the process.
“I feel at this point having her interact with her siblings and moving around are helping her.”
At seven weeks old, Cheeky surpassed the one-pound mark and began making great strides each day.
“She went from a kitten that couldn’t stand or sit up to a kitten that was running and jumping (nonstop). She was able to get to the litter box by herself, and eventually started eating on her own.”
It took the tortie extra time to learn to eat from a bowl, but she did it with a lot of encouragement from her siblings and loving foster family.
“Cheeky has proved to be a feisty survivor with lots of torti-tude. She has a big personality and is growing into a beautiful little cat,” Laura told us.
“We call her the energizer bunny because she’s in constant motion. I think she will be one of those cats that can jump up to very high spaces.”
Cheeky has blossomed to be a boisterous bundle of joy. She enjoys the shoulder view and napping on her human under their chin.
“Eight weeks ago I didn’t think she’d make it to this day. Now, she rarely slows down for lap time unless she’s worn herself out.”
Over the weekend, Cheeky went off to her forever home. She is already filling her house with zoomies and mischief.
“Her mom is very excited to introduce her to her fur brother and sister, Snowball and Kissy.”
