A young cat found at a job site underwent a dramatic transformation after just a few weeks in a home.
Over a month ago, a scraggly, raggedy kitten was found behind a tire at a job site. She was emaciated, covered in fleas, and missing a lot of fur.
The finders immediately contacted Deej, cofounder of Inked Kittens Club (a kitten rescue), for help. “As soon as she arrived at my place that afternoon, it was clear she was very sick,” Deej told Love Meow.
The kitten named Furby used every bit of her strength and willpower to eat and fight to live.
Having already used several of her nine lives, Furby had an indomitable spirit. She kept purring and “baking her little bread” and seemed relieved to finally have a safe place to land and attention from a loving human.
At around seven weeks old, she came with a host of health issues, including the dreaded panleukopenia, with about a 10% chance of survival for her age.
Furby was determined to defy the odds, and with intensive daily supportive care, she began to turn around.
After a week of fluids, syringe-feeding, and meds, Furby wrestled back her appetite and a new zest for life. “(When) she started to willingly eat on her own, I knew we were in the home stretch of getting her on the mend.”
For a while, Furby clung to her bed and wouldn’t move aside from using the litter box. Then, one day, she came out of her shell and decided to trust. “From the moment she decided we were pals, we’ve been inseparable.”
Furby was missing a substantial amount of fur on her chest, legs, and tail due to severe malnutrition.
As she continued to put on weight, her fur slowly grew back, and her endearing, mischievous side emerged. “She seems to have two faces: a flat brow grumpy face or a tongue blep. The more I stare at her, the cuter and funnier she gets.”
With her newfound energy, Furby started to play and demand more attention.
“She’s decided pets are more important than eating. If I’m not giving her enough pets, she’ll reach her little paw up to grab at my hand, all with her tongue blepped out. She’s a kitten with a big personality that packs a real punch.”
Once Furby recovered and was ready to socialize, she was overjoyed to have constant playmates after being isolated for so long.
She quickly hit it off with her feline friends, romping around the room and showing them how to play with toys. Through her interactions with other cats, she learned to play appropriately and respect boundaries.
“Her favorite pastime is still chasing me around the house. She loves her stuffed animals, and every night, she makes sure to show her stuffy snake who’s boss.”
Furby is about three months old now, and her ear tufts are getting longer with age.
“As she’s getting older, her little bald spots are growing back out beautifully. She’s come a long way with socializing, even though she still enjoys chasing your feet around the house.”
It’s hard to believe that, just a few weeks ago, Furby was a scraggly little gremlin, missing a lot of her fur. Now, she has blossomed into a gorgeous young cat with enough energy to power a village.
“She still has a big goofy head and the weirdest coat I’ve seen in a while, but I couldn’t be more obsessed with her if I tried.”
