A kind-hearted couple found a wild mother cat and her kittens and decided to catch one of them to give it a chance at survival. Unfortunately, what happened next was anything but ideal.
The kitten was separated from its mother too soon and placed in a life-threatening situation. The couple did not know how to take care of him, so they kept him in poor conditions.
Thankfully, Marlena, founder of Be Their Voice Animal Rescue in Atlanta, Georgia, learned of the kitten’s plight and took action.
“I took her that night,” Marlena said. “Judging by her teeth and physical characteristics, she was about five weeks old. She weighed only 0.8 pounds (0.36 kg) when she should have weighed 1.25 pounds (0.57 kg). She’s dirty, crunchy, and I can feel every bone in her body.”
Despite the kitten’s fragile state, Marlena was determined to give her the best chance at survival.
“I immediately took her to the vet where she was given fluids and put on a special diet,” Marlena said. “She was also treated for an eye infection and parasites. The prognosis is good, but she will need to be closely monitored for the next few weeks.”
Because of her previous isolation, Uno screamed at the top of her lungs when she was locked in the bathroom for even a few minutes. She was terrified. It will take some time for Uno to learn to trust humans again.
In a few days, Uno made herself at home, avoiding all good napping locations and instead seeking human contact in the form of knees, necks, and hands.
The next vet visit went well except for one major issue: a parasitic infection called Giardia, which necessitated that every cat and kitten in the household be treated.
As Uno continues to heal and grow, she is learning to trust humans again.
Her stomach problems gradually cleared up, and she soon began proliferating. As she grew older, her energy level increased dramatically; she played like an unleashed kitten!
Now that Uno has overcome her parasite infection, it’s time for some socialization to help mitigate her extreme case of one-kitten syndrome.
So that is why wild mother cats and their kittens deserve to be respected and left alone. If you see a feral cat or kitten, please do the right thing and leave them be.
