Cats

Kitten Incredibly Small Compared to Her Littermates Has the Heart of Big Cat and Won’t Let Anything Stop Her

May 6, 2024

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A kitten who is incredible small compared to her littermates has the heart of a big cat and won’t let anything stop her.

LucyJamie

When Lucy, a 5-week-old kitten, arrived in foster care with her two brothers, she weighed only 128 grams. “For scale, some newborns to one-week-olds weigh this much, so needless to say, she was very underdeveloped,” Jamie, a foster volunteer for Baby Kitten Rescue, shared.

Lucy immediately started treatment for aspiration pneumonia to ease her breathing. The kind people at Baby Kitten Rescue were determined to find out why her growth was so stunted.

She was a force of nature trapped in a tiny body, and her appetite was amazingly strong.

She was less than half the size she should have beenJamie

Her brothers, Brian and Patrick, were the same age as Lucy but towering over her. They were gentle and sweet with their little sister and looked out for her as they navigated their new world.

After the first night, Lucy perked up with a spring in her step. She moved around her nest and readied herself for her next meal.

Brian and LucyJamie

Jamie syringe-fed Lucy every three hours while her brothers ate from a dish independently. A few days into care, Lucy discovered her purr motor, and her playful side emerged.

She played with a fuzzy ball the size of her head, showing her strength and sass like a little lion cub.

Jamie

“She’s proving to not only be a fierce fighter but also a survivor. Lucy has energy, loves to cuddle and purr, and, most of all, loves her food. Even though she’s still fragile, I see improvements every day.”

Whenever Lucy was around her brothers, she waddled about as if she were the tallest cat in the room. She studied her brothers’ grappling moves and waved her little paw, trying to emulate them.

Brian was very gentle, and Lucy was a force of natureJamie

It took Lucy longer to wean, but her voracious appetite never lessened. “She has learned things slower than her brothers, but that’s okay.”

As her breathing improved, she graduated from the oxygen support and transitioned to eating from a dish. “I noticed her eating from her brothers’ food plates. She also learned not to dive head and paws first into the food.”

Jamie

Upon further examination of Lucy’s body, they discovered that her jaw was misaligned and she had Flat Chested Kitten Syndrome, in which “the rib cage does not form properly, thus flattening out the chest plate.”

To help her lungs get enough air, she wore a splint around her rib cage to correct the form. “As Lucy continues to grow, the splint will create a more rounded, normal chest plate, making it easier for her to breathe.”

Lucy made a lot of “biscuits” on her favorite blanketJamie

“We think that Lucy’s structural abnormalities may have made it hard for her to get enough nutrients, thus impinging her growth. She is proving to be quite the little miracle baby with a zest for life.”

At 9.5 weeks old, Lucy officially joined the one-pound club (her brothers weighed 2.5 pounds).

Lucy, Patrick, and BrianJamie

“When I got Lucy, I was concerned she wouldn’t make it, so for her to hit the one-pound mark and be doing as well as she is, is a huge milestone.”

Today, Lucy is breathing well and no longer wears the splint. She is more energetic than ever and doesn’t get winded when she plays.

Jamie

When her brothers were big enough for adoption, they quickly found their forever home with a wonderful family.

During their meet-and-greet, the family noticed Lucy, and the second they learned that she was their much smaller sister, they wanted to keep all three together.

Patrick and LucyJamie

Lucy still has much growing to do before she is ready to move into her new home. She has come a long way since being rescued, weighing just 128 grams.

Jamie