In this world, ‘bigger is always better’— but the truly wise know the best things come in small packages. Sisters Thoa, Thi, and Tram Bui subscribe to this philosophy, running their very own private rescue group specializing in the care of neonatal kittens.
The rescue, Mini Cat Town, is based out of San Jose, California. Through this group, the three sisters participate in fostering, rescue, and TNR endeavors. They explain, “Our mission is to foster [o to 8-week old kittens] until they are old enough to be adopted.”
On March 24th, 2019, the three sisters took in a pair of foster kittens. The panther babies had been found with no mother in sight, and seemed to have some kind of skin condition that meant they couldn’t be with the other fosters. Sadly, on the first night, one of them crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
In an Instagram post, the sisters explained, “One of our little panthers passed away last night. She suffered from sort of seizure, and before we could get to a vet, she passed away.”
Vets believed the tiny kitten passed away because of a seizure related to cerebellar hyperplasia (CH). It should be noted, that while CH causes problems with gait and balance, it does not cause seizures. However, oftentimes cats with the disorder have other problems that can cause these seizures to occur. CH often develops in utero, and nobody was sure whether the surviving kitten would suffer from the same thing.
Although Nakia, the surviving sibling, had made it through her first night in care, she still had big obstacles to contend with. At 3-weeks old, the tiny kitten weighed as much as a newborn, and her fur seemed to be falling out in large patches.
“Nakia is very malnourished,” they shared. “So malnourished, in fact, that her skin and fur is coming off in chunks and large flakes.”
“She weighs 3.5 ounces (when she should be around 10 ounces at 3 weeks old), as much as our newborn kittens.”
Despite Nakia’s small stature and flaking skin, the tiny kitten refused to give up. With her big heart and the sisters’ care, she managed to start eating, drinking, and using the potty regularly.
Because Nakia had lost so much of her fur, the sisters also found another (adorable) way to help keep her warm.
“Look at Nakia and her brand new sock onesie,” they gush in an Instagram post.
After only 3 days of caring for Nakia, the tiny kitten started to grow. “She’s gained enough strength to climb out of her carrier during meal time. We are incredibly proud of her!”
She also learned to scarf down food like a champ!
As of two days ago, little Nakia’s fur is finally starting to grow back, and the sisters are pleased to announce “she’s steadily gaining weight.”
Nakia, the poor, innocent kitten was starving and all alone. Now, thanks to the Bui sisters, she’s well on her way to finding the purrrrfect furever home.
If you’d like to keep up with Nakia’s journey, be sure to follow the Bui sisters and Mini Cat Town on Instagram, here.
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