A person stepped in to help a kitten born in an animal shelter. Now, the young cat is flourishing in ways no one imagined.
Meo, the kitten, was born in an animal shelter and spent the first few weeks of her life in a kennel due to a lack of resources. She ultimately became the sole survivor of her litter. When a staff member noticed her declining health, they reached out for help.
Megyn, president at Critical Kitten Care Fund, sprang into action when she was contacted. “Meo was referred to me as a vet tech noticed she was very wobbly, emaciated, and weak,” Megyn shared with Love Meow.
At six weeks old, Meo weighed a mere 230 grams, about a third of what she should have. Her fate was uncertain, but Megyn was determined to give her a fighting chance.
Megyn was informed by the shelter that the kitten faced several health challenges. Meo couldn’t walk properly, her hind legs splaying out as she tried to move. A vet visit revealed that her wobbliness was likely due to malnourishment and low muscle tone.
During the first week, Meo spent hours snuggling with Megyn, often falling asleep tucked away in a soft blanket in her arms.
Meo hadn’t learned to eat on her own due to her cataracts, which limited her vision. To help her, Megyn guided the kitten to her food and taught her how to eat. “Once she was eating well, she quickly rebounded.”
After getting her fill, she loved to nestle against her human for maximum comfort.
“She went from not being able to walk to running in less than a week.”
As her legs strengthened and her posture improved, Meo grew more active and curious about her surroundings. She trailed behind her foster mom like a duckling, imprinting on her as she pitter-pattered across the room. “Once she gained enough muscle mass, she was running and playing like a kitten should.”
Though her vision was limited, her keen hearing helped her track the sound of her human’s footsteps. After her daily adventures, she enjoyed curling up on a warm lap, purring herself to sleep.
“She has learned how to navigate the world despite her vision impairment.”
In one week, Meo blossomed into a bundle of energy. She was still tiny but acted like the lively seven-week-old kitten she was.
“The whole time, she had been nothing but full of love. She purred the instant I pet her when she was 230 grams at six weeks old and hasn’t stopped purring since. She has such a zest for life and loves playing with any toy, especially toys that make noise.”
“Once she’s tired out, she wants nothing more than to cuddle up with any human or creature she can find. Despite her congenital anomalies and neglect, this girl has been so resilient thanks to her desire to live and love.”
With good food, physical therapy, and plenty of room to roam, Meo’s legs were corrected, allowing her personality to shine through.
At eight weeks old, Meo finally reached the one-pound mark, a huge milestone showing how far she’d come.
“Meo has conquered her final hurdle – stairs. Being visually impaired, she struggles with depth perception. Going up is much easier than going down for her.” After weeks of practicing safely going downstairs, “I’m happy to report she’s finally getting the hang of it.”
“Meo loves people more than anything and is known to fall asleep in the middle of play if she’s on or near a human. Some people have blankets or stuffed toys to help them get cozy. Meo has her people.”
Meo is about four months old now and always a baby at heart.
“I’m so grateful for how far she came from being so severely emaciated to catching up to the proper weight. No matter how big she gets, I hope she’ll always be someone’s baby.”
