When Puppy, a chubby little kitten, arrived at the home of an experienced foster mom, she knew she had her hands full with one of the youngest felines she’d ever cared for. Despite his closed eyes – a sign that he was likely less than 10 days old – Puppy was already a healthy weight, weighing in at as much as a 2-week-old kitten. His healthy weight proved to be a lifesaver when his mama cat left him behind after relocating her other kittens. For 12 long hours, Puppy was left alone as his rescuers anxiously waited to see if his mother would return.
Initially, the rescuers gave the mother cat multiple opportunities to locate her lost kitten. However, as time passed, they had to step in and take action. Being separated from their mother can be distressing for kittens and can lead to several behavioral issues in the future. Keeping the mother with her babies is a priority for rescuers. To provide comfort to the orphaned kitten, Heidi introduced the Calmeroos Cat, which is a plush toy that provides a similar feel to the mother cat. The toy has a removable battery-operated heartbeat simulator, heat pack, and soft texture. It comes in designs for both cats and puppies. The Calmeroos Cat effectively provided comfort to the kitten, and he slept soundly under it. The toy is easy to maintain and can be washed after removing the heat pack and heartbeat simulator.
Puppy had the best of both worlds, with both a plush mama and a human mama taking care of him. He was thriving, gaining an impressive 30 grams per day. While Heidi could have introduced him to other foster babies, he remained in quarantine to avoid any potential risks such as a Panleukopenia (FPV) outbreak or parasites, which can be catastrophic for kittens. It can be challenging for fosterers to keep a kitten alone, but it is crucial for their safety. Once they are clear and safe, introducing a kitten friend is usually a great idea. Fortunately, Puppy overcame his upper respiratory infection (URI) after five days of antibiotics and steam treatments with a nebulizer. Despite his health challenges, he continued to grow and become chonky, weighing more than most kittens his age.
At last, Puppy was able to make some feline friends! These new pals would teach him how to act like a cat and help him burn off all his extra energy. When he was with his previous foster mom, he didn’t understand that biting was not allowed and that it could be painful. But now, he had two new friends to playfully wrestle with. And having two kittens to care for was much simpler than just one. When kittens have bonded companions, they spend their time playing together instead of attacking humans’ hands or legs.
After spending some time with The Kitten Squad, Puppy moved on to a different foster home where the playtime never stopped. Today, Puppy is a well-adjusted and fun-loving cat named Ollie, living in New York City with his big brother Baxer. You can keep up with their hilarious adventures by following them on Instagram.