The “runt” of a litter is the smallest and most vulnerable of the whole family.
“…A runt is a member which is significantly smaller or weaker than the others… Even among domestic animals, runts often face rejection”
For Pawly the cat, being the runt almost cost her her life.
Pawly and her siblings showed up at a shelter one day out of the blue. When the Las Vegas Shelter volunteers took them in, they were seriously worried about the condition they were in.
The shelter, Rescued Treasures Cat Cafe, immediately put them in foster care to get the help they needed.
Of the four siblings that were placed in foster care, Pawly was the smallest. All her siblings were much larger than she was, making them healthier and more hardy. When the shelter saw how small Pawly was in comparison, they were worried.
After the four kittens were placed in foster care, they hoped Pawly’s health would improve.
Usually, a good home and treatment are enough to help most kittens recover and get back to normal. Sadly, Pawly’s health continued to decline. Each day the little cat worsened, especially since her size wasn’t giving her any advantages.
“Pawly was extremely underweight and fragile,” Lika told Love Meow, recalling how she privately worried this kitten might already be too far gone.
Patrica Lika was a volunteer rescuer that had a lot of experience with critically ill kittens.
When Lika got a good look at the kitten, she knew it wasn’t good. The little cat was having issues with its respiratory tract and was so weak she could barely do anything herself.
“She had very low blood levels and an upper respiratory infection,” Lika recalled. “We started her on antibiotics and around the clock critical care protocol. She was so weak and fading that it worried me it was too late.”
When Pawly was 6 weeks old, she only weighed half a pound.
The emaciated and weak kitten was so small that she would barely be noticed in an outstretched hand. Even with the tough circumstances, Lika saw how determined the little cat was. No matter what, she would purr and loved being held by her rescuers.
Pawly actually got her name because of one of her feet (or lack thereof).
Lika was the one who named the little kitten Pawly. On her back right leg she actually didn’t have a paw! Without a paw, the name seemed to fit perfectly. Pawly didn’t seem to mind it at all!
With continues care and love, Pawly slowly started to make a recovery.
The progress was painstakingly slow, but eventually, the kitten started to make a recovery. While the progress was slow, they suddenly had a breakthrough! One day, Pawly got up and started running and jumping around!
“As soon as she felt better and had more energy, she came out of her shell and started to play,” Lika said.
Despite the lack of a paw and the rough start to life, Pawly doesn’t let it affect her at all!
She is now as happy as any kitten can be and LOVES to snuggle and hug her foster mom. With the incredible care of Lika and others, the little kitten now has a wonderful life and the hope of a loving family in her future.
Make sure you share this with your cat-loving friends!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
