When a cat gives birth to a litter of kittens, there’s usually one that is smaller or slightly different from the rest. While sometimes the runty kitten can manage to catch up, if the problem is more severe, its Mama may abandon it all together. “Kittens born with severe deformities will likely be rejected by their mother because she senses that they won’t survive,” The Nest explains. And that’s exactly what happened to baby Smush.
Smush is a sassy ginger kitty with an adorably squished face. At only 10-days-old, Smush went to go live with Lindsey Hidenrite, a veterinary student, after being abandoned and found all by herself.
If Hidenrite had not taken in Smush, the tiny kitten likely would not have survived.
“When she was a tiny kitten she wasn’t eating on her own, so she had to be syringe fed every four hours or she would have been euthanized,” Shannon Jackson, Smush’s new mom told PEOPLE.
“She had a terrible case of ringworm and was on a bunch of medications and had a lot of lyme baths. She also had an upper respiratory infection.”
In an interview with WCJB, Jackson also notes, “She has a cleft palate, but it doesn’t get her down. It just fits with her charm.”
With Hidenrite and a foster parent’s care, Smush soon grew big and strong. But even after everything she had been through, the little fighter was still looking for a home to call her own.
Right around this time, Smush was catching a couple’s attention. Hidenrite had been posting photos of the kitty online. And Shannon Jackson, a photographer for the rescue that found Smush, and her wife Sarah Jenne had been looking at the pictures— but neither had mentioned the possibility of adoption.
“Sarah was also following Smush’s updates via Lindsey, and we just decided right then and there that we’d try it out,” Jackson told PEOPLE.
“When it came time for her [Smush] to be up for adoption, I reached out to Lindsey to see if she had a home yet— and she didn’t!”
Smush is a sassy kitty. And as a result of not being socialized by her mom, she tends to give tiny love bites. Because of this behavior, Lindsey suggested Jackson and Jenne foster the kitty before making a decision— but it only took 7 days for Smush to worm her way into the their hearts.
“It was love at first sight” Jackson explained.
Smush is completely in love with her two mamas— and has gained a handful of siblings as well!
Since being adopted, Smush now spends most of her time with 3 cat siblings, 3 dog siblings, and an adorable hedgehog named Homer.
According to Smush’s Instagram bio, the adorable kitty is a big fan of “food, feet, and dogs”.
Smush’s Instagram account currently boasts an impressive 80,000 followers.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Jackson says she receives numerous messages from fans telling her that Smush has helped them get through bad days.
Smush has made an incredible difference in her owners’ lives. Jackson says, “I hope that people can see the value of pet rescue … and adopt their own [pet] from the shelter instead of the store.”
“I also hope to put a little love and into the world with her daily antics.”
Hear Smush’s story below!
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