A tiny kitten with a mighty spirit befriended every cat and dog he met, pouncing as if he were much bigger.
At a few days old, Barry, the tuxedo kitten, had already used several of his nine lives. Found outside and brought to a local humane society, his spirit never faded despite the many strikes against him.
With the help of a dedicated bottle feeder, he grew into a healthy kitten with bright eyes and big ears. As soon as he was strong enough, he started moving around with his tiny feet.
At 3.5 weeks old, he came to his new foster home for socialization, eagerly seeking a constant playmate.
“He was self-entertained at a young age, often laying on his back and waving his little paws in the air. He also loves to wrestle with the stuffed animal toys I kept with him,” Kris Kaiser, Barry’s foster mom, shared with Love Meow.
He rolled on his back, happily revealing his rotund belly for everyone to see.
As he grew in size and strength, he became a ball of energy with an unstoppable attitude. “(He was) running so fast his feet couldn’t keep up. He’s full of wild and silly antics.”
When Barry graduated from his playpen to explore the rest of the house, he met the resident cat, Uncle Calvin. He trotted up to him, trying to assert his dominance despite being much smaller.
“Uncle Calvin taught him about proper dress code and how to be a distinguished gentleman. I think Calvin enjoyed the entertainment factor of a young kitten bouncing around and being silly.”
Barry was tiny but completely fearless, with a giant attitude that matched his energy. “He’s always pouncing at the camera and likes to show off.”
When his foster mom took him to work, he met a puppy named Jelly Bean and started tussling despite the size difference.
After a few short supervised play sessions, he zoomed around the office like a furry tornado, leaping over furniture and claiming every inch he touched.
After zipping through the place, he pummeled his plushie and was interrupted by a nap.
When Barry was fully weaned, it was time for him to join a feline crew. “Kittens learn so much from each other, and I wanted to be sure Barry had the chance to do that, too.”
Kris contacted her rescue, The Bond Between, and found a litter of slightly older kittens in another foster home. “The instant Barry met the other kittens, it was clear he was so happy.”
Barry fit right in and started playing with his feline friends as if they had always been littermates.
Brave and confident, he approached his foster siblings for nose kisses and boldly pounced on their tails, trying to get them to play.
The other kittens were a bit surprised by his unbridled energy but quickly embraced him as part of their own.
“This is what he needed; it was my goal for him since I took him home at 3.5 weeks old. He now has four very adorable playmates until he gets adopted, which should be another 3-4 weeks.”
The tiny orphaned tuxedo has blossomed into a handsome, rambunctious young cat with many friends to keep him company and a promise of a forever, loving home.
