If you ever visited kittens at a shelter, you probably had a soft spot for the runt. These tiny babies are smaller and weaker than their siblings, and they often have to compete for food. Shelters say runts are the first to be adopted. Their tiny bodies make us want to protect them and give them a happy life.
Roo was described as the runt of her litter. The adorable tabby was dropped off at a shelter in April of 2016. She was brought in alongside her siblings, but there was no doubt she was the smallest of the bunch.
It’s unclear whether Roo was an actual runt or just the smallest of her litter. Even though we often refer to the smallest as ‘a runt’, The Nest says a true runt’s birth weight must fall below that of an averagely sized kitten.
When Marnie Russ, an employee at the shelter, caught sight of Roo, the tiny kitten immediately stole her heart. When she looked a bit closer though, she noticed that something was “off”.
“She was considerably smaller than her siblings, and the staff at the shelter noticed she was walking weird,” Marnie said.
Staff decided to bring Roo for an X-Ray and that’s when they made a discovery that was truly bizarre: Roo, the tiny kitten, had been born without any elbow joints at all!
Roo likely has a case of ‘radial aplasia’. According to this source, radial aplasia is an umbrella term for a number of different foreleg deformities, including radial hypolasia, radial agenesis, and foreleg micromelia. Roo’s condition is closely linked to radial hypoplasia, where mild cases often result in polydactyly, i.e. having extra toes.
In cases like Roo’s, the elbow joints are completely absent, causing her to sit up like a rabbit or kangaroo— hence her adorable name.
Marnie originally took Roo home to foster… But the “kangaroo kitten” melted her heart, and that’s when Marnie decided to give her a home.
With Marnie’s help, Roo has made a ton of progress. “She has learned to use her front legs like a normal kitty would,” Marnie said. “So, if you didn’t know her story, you wouldn’t think anything was wrong with her, except when she walks she is shorter in the front.”
Nowadays, Roo loves helping Marnie with all of the animal fosters, and just can’t stop giving them snuggles and love!
“No no no. I don’t need a bath, Mama Roo. I am clean, I swear.” -Pippy (with food on his face)
Marnie, for her part, makes a point of helping other RH kitties too. This is Alealani.
I don’t want to think what would have happened to Roo if Marnie hadn’t given her a home. With the poor baby’s condition, she likely wouldn’t have lasted long in a shelter environment— assuming they decided to keep her at all.
Roo’s story is great reminder that cats with radial deformities are blessed with so much love to give. Thank you Marnie, for giving this sweet girl a second chance and a loving home to call her own!
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