A kitten came to a shelter, needing more help than others. Then, she met an 11-year-old cat who showed her the ropes.
Small FryAngelica
A litter of four kittens (Big Mac, McFlurry, Chicken Nugget, and Small Fry) came to the Arizona Humane Society, hoping for a better life.
Found as strays, they needed intensive care before they were well enough to go to a foster home. While tending to the kittens, Angelica, a neonatal veterinary technician for the shelter, noticed one of them needed extra support.
Small Fry, a black and white kitten, was exceptionally tiny. "She was only 188 grams, which for a 4-week-old kitten is severely underweight," Angelica shared with Love Meow.
Angelica
The kitten had a hard time eating from a bottle and needed to be syringe-fed. "She was difficult to feed, very frantic. She was so overwhelmed with being excited and hungry."
Small Fry went to her foster home with her siblings, only to be returned to be cared for in the ICU again.
Angelica
While her littermates continued to thrive in foster care, Small Fry relied on her dedicated carer to ensure she had sufficient food intake. Angelica hand-reared her around the clock, making sure all her needs were met.
Small Fry fell soundly asleep in her blanket after feeding, her tongue sticking out contentedly. "I fell in love seeing her every day and decided to take her home."
Angelica
Eventually, the kitten got the hang of eating and began gaining weight steadily. She became more energetic, playful, and sassy, jumping sideways and swiping at the camera with her tiny paws.
She also gained a renewed love for food, impatiently demanding her next meal, sampling morsels from every cat bowl in the house, and sometimes dozing off in her food while eating.
Angelica
Small Fry finally caught up in size but needed a friend who could show her the ropes. Under the same roof, a cat named Emilio had been waiting to meet her.
Emilio found Angelica when he was eight weeks old. Drawn to little animals in need, he eagerly offered to help whenever Angelica brought home fosters. "He's 11 years old now and still acts like a kitten. Together, he's helped raise 90 kittens."
Emilio and his foster kittensAngelica
Small Fry was a bit intimidated at first, as she hadn't seen an adult cat before Emilio, but the friendly feline resident was patient and gave her the time she needed to warm up to him.
He reassured her that he meant good and took her under his wing as soon as she felt more at ease. Before long, Emilio snuggled beside Small Fry, offering to be her pillow buddy.
Angelica
Small Fry has become braver and more adventurous with a feline friend looking out for her. "Emilio is always following her around and encouraging her to play. He's very good at initiating play and setting boundaries."
He has a long roster of foster babies, including puppies and guinea pigs.
Angelica
At seven weeks old, Small Fry is just shy of two pounds. With a ravenous appetite for food and adventures, she's gained a rotund belly and lives by the philosophy of eat, play, sleep, and repeat.
"She has boundless energy, quick reflexes, and keen senses, which all make up her strong drive to live and thrive."
Angelica
Small Fry tries to appear twice her size against Emilio who towers over her.
She practices her wrestling prowess with a large plush toy but tries to perfect her sneak attacks on Emilio when he's sleeping.
Angelica
With the help of her foster mom and a loving resident cat, Small Fry is blossoming into a happy, healthy, boisterous young cat.
Angelica
Share this story with your friends. More on Small Fry, Emilio, and Angelica's fosters on Instagram.
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