Kittens were found at a loading dock just hours old. One of them has one ear and the spirit of a warrior cat.
GrimesDeej
A litter of kittens was found at a loading dock with no sign of a mom. Among them, the little gray and white kitten had the toughest battle to fight.
Deej, an animal rescuer specializing in critical, special needs, and neonate cases, received a rescue request for the litter and immediately offered to help. "Once they arrived, it became clear just how much worse off they were than I could have anticipated," Deej shared with Love Meow.
The kittens had been born prematurely and left behind at birth. They were cold to the touch and had frostbite on their extremities. "When they finally made it to my care, their temperatures were too low to read, yet miraculously, they were somehow still alive."
The kittens were found at a loading dockDeej
After warming their little bodies to a temperature safe for feeding, the kittens latched onto a syringe and took to the food right away.
At five days old, they caught up to the size of "normal" newborn kittens with their voracious appetites. Some of them even figured out their purr motors after mealtime.
Deej
About ten days into care, the frostbitten parts fell off as they healed. "This micro litter continued to shock me every day with their progress."
Grimes, the gray and white kitten named after Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead, had the worst case of frostbite of the litter. "She lost one of her ears, three of her toe beans on a front paw, and half of her tail."
Deej
The little warrior kitty never let anything slow her down or hinder her mobility.
"Her brother, Walker, lost the tips of both ears, leaving him looking like a permanent teddy bear along with half of his tail. Van Cow was named after Van Gogh because she also lost an ear and looks like a little cow."
Deej
"Ellie was named after The Last of Us because, unlike her siblings, she was 'immune' to the frostbite and did not lose any extremities."
Deej worked tirelessly (over many sleepless nights) to nurse them back to health and ensure they made steady gains. She provided supportive care, kept them clean when they made a mess, and showered them with love.
Walker has teddy bear like earsDeej
Grimes and her siblings began to have play dates with other foster kittens that were one week older but much larger in size.
"Chunk Norris (ginger) is a supersized kitten for his age. Now, thrown next to a preemie already playing catch up, you have a hilarious size difference."
Grimes and Chunk Norris piled on Van CowDeej
The adorable motley crew get along swimmingly despite their differences in weight. Grimes can hold her own when wrestling with the bigger kittens.
She gives intense yawns and sometimes forgets to put away her tongue when she naps.
Grimes rolling around showing off her belly. You can see her missing toesDeej
"They are now about six weeks old and haven't quite weaned from the bottle yet, but that's okay."
Recently, Deej added a giant fluffy bed to the kitten suite, which quickly became a hit. "The micros are obsessed with this bed and have spent most of their time dog piled up in it."
Deej
Grimes and her siblings bounced back despite many strikes against them at birth. Now, they are blossoming into playful and healthy young cats.
Van Cow, Ellie, Grimes, and WalkerDeej
"They're the sweetest babies that want nothing more than to snuggle in your lap and continue to thrive more and more as each day passes."
Walker, Grimes, and Van CowDeej
Share this story with your friends. More on the kittens and Deej's fosters on Instagram @deejandthecats.
Related story: Couple Went to Shelter Just to 'Look at' a Cat with Enormous Cheeks, It Turned Out to Be So Much More
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