A kitten who was just a quarter the size of what he should have been, blossomed into a beautiful young cat.
On one Saturday, Best Friends Felines, a cat rescue in Brisbane, AU, was contacted about a miniature kitten needing urgent help. He was the runt of the litter and had been rejected by the cat mother.
They brought the kitten to the emergency vets, and he lay quietly on his rescuer’s hand, hanging on with the little strength he had left.
“I named him Henry and promised him that we would fight for him, but he needed to fight, too,” Nikki of Best Friends Felines shared.
Henry weighted in at 110 grams at about four weeks old, which was just a quarter of the body weight he should have been. “He was critically ill, dehydrated, emaciated and super lethargic.”
Emergency vets gave him fluids and discussed the grim prognosis of the little guy and the odds of him surviving. “Still we have to give them a shot when there is a chance.”
That day, Henry was transferred to a loving foster home with Jill, a neonate carer, who set out to spend the whole night making sure he was well looked after and loved.
With hourly feeds for the first 24 hours, Henry perked up and even put on a tiny bit of weight. Day by day, he continued to improve and his body started to fill out.
“Five days after Henry came into our care, we were able to secure the rest of his (feline) family.”
Henry battled a gastro bug with supportive care from Jill, around the clock. He was so tiny but put up quite a fight. He latched onto the bottle like a champ and took every challenge in stride.
“Jill never gave up on him and did endless visits to our vets without complaint, and she had days with little or no sleep. I am sure she will agree with me that he was absolutely worth it,” Nikki shared.
Once Henry figured out his feet, he was on the move and just wanted to play and explore.
When Henry crossed the one-pound mark, Jill and everyone at the rescue could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“We believe he has turned the corner and is on the way to making a full recovery, which has us all here behind the scenes doing a happy dance,” the rescue wrote.
“It’s been a roller coaster of a ride to get this little man well. With lots of care and love, he slowly blossomed into the fine young kitten he is today.”
Henry is patient and gentle. He likes to play but loves a good cuddle, and will begin purring the minute he is in your arms.
“Henry’s spirit never failed to amaze us as he continued to bounce back, setback after setback, full of determination and cattitude,” Nikki wrote.
“He is now settled into his forever home with Kelly who couldn’t be more chuffed with her new family member.”
