A tiny grey kitten was found outside all alone, and just skin and bones. She was immediately placed in a foster home with a nursing cat mom, who sadly wouldn’t accept the new baby.
Penny Richards, volunteer of Animal Welfare League of Arlington and the AWLA’s Kitten College Program, took the tiny ball of fur on herself and started caring for her around the clock.
“She was a skeleton surrounded by fluff. At about three weeks old, she weighed what a healthy one week old would,” Penny told Love Meow. “She looked plump as she was very fluffy, but on holding her you could feel every bone in her body sticking out.”
Despite being a bit malnourished upon intake, the kitten was vocal and purring nonstop. She didn’t have enough strength to latch, so Penny slowly filled her belly through tube-feeding and got her weight up.
After two days of painstaking care, the kitten perked up with new-found energy. She made everyone so proud when she finally latched onto her bottle and started eating.
The kitten was adamant about never being alone again, and would cry constantly until she had a companion by her side.
“The day after I got her, two boys (little panther kitties) came in. I placed them with her and she immediately felt comforted,” Penny shared with Love Meow.
“She instantly loved her new brothers and she no longer cried all day. She would cuddle them as they slept.”
The trio were then officially named Cruz (grey), Diego and Frankie. Cruz took her little brothers under her wing, followed them around and cuddled them in their comfy nest.
