Two weeks ago, a tiny kitten was found on the warm streets of Phoenix, Arizona. The poor thing was abandoned and completely alone with no mother cat in sight.
Because the kitten was so young, he would likely be euthanized. Baby kittens like this require round-the-clock care, something shelters are often not able (or willing) to provide. Luckily, however, thanks to an angel named Melinda Blain, this poor abandoned kitten got a brand-new lease on life.
“I started fostering a few years ago and I work almost exclusively with bottle babies,” Melinda told our staff.
“They require round the clock care, but all the hard work pays off when you get to see the little guys thrive with the second chance they were given.”
When Melinda got the tiny kitten, he was only 1-week-old. Because of his days on the streets, however, he was much smaller than other babies his age.
Melinda told our staff, “[The kitten] was definitely underweight when his finders brought him to me. He was slightly over one-week-old and he weighed 100 grams.”
“Usually,” she says, “Kittens that age weigh at least twice that amount.”
Even though the kitten was small, he was definitely a fighter— and his loving foster mom refused to let him die. Melinda named the kitten Mety because of his helmet-like markings and immediately got to work giving him round-the-clock care.
“He requires around the clock care so he often comes to work and school with me since I am not always home during the day.”
“His care sounds extensive, but food/bathroom time only takes 5-10 minutes each feeding, and he is set to use the litter box and start weaning in a couple of weeks.”
Mety wouldn’t have stood a chance in this world all alone. But with Melinda’s love and devotion, he quickly started to grow.
“In the past week, he has become very active and he is just starting to become more curious. He is already quite a burrower and he loves to climb in my hair when I’m snuggling him”
On her Instagram, Melinda writes, “He loves face kisses, purritos and any form of snuggling in general.”
It’s heartbreaking to think that without Melinda’s care, Mety would probably not have survived. As Melinda noted, these tiny bottle babies often require more care than shelters are able (or willing) to give. But Mety knows he is a lucky one and repays his mama every day with his endless kitten-engine purrs.
Once Mety is older and vetted, Melinda will be looking to find him the puuuurrrrfect forever home. “I start to look for adopters around the six-week mark once the kittens are totally weaned and healthy,” she said. “After talking with potential owners and getting to know them, Mety will meet with them so they can see him and his personality.”
Melinda covers most of her fostering costs out of her very own pocket. However, if you’d like to donate towards her foster kittens’ care, please visit her Amazon Wishlist for a list of needed items. You can also stay up-to-date with little Mety and the other bottle babies by visiting @bottlebabyfosters on Instagram.
“I do miss my babies when they leave on adoption day,” Melinda said, “But I love seeing how happy their new families are.”
“I just always try and remember that when one kitten gets adopted, there is more space for a new baby to come into my life and finally get the second chance they deserve.”
