In the middle of a tornado and flash flood in Little Rock, Arkansas, a hotel employee heard faint cries coming from a pile of plastic wrap and wooden pallets. What he found was heartbreaking: a tiny, one-day-old kitten, soaked, shivering, and barely alive.
Keep reading to discover how one of these kittens, Minka, defied the odds and survived thanks to the man that stopped everything to save her!
A Shocking Discovery
The man who found Minka wasn’t a cat owner, nor did he know anything about cats, but one thing was certain – he had a heart of gold.
He didn’t know how to care for newborn kittens, but he knew he had to act fast.
Minka wasn’t alone. She was found with two siblings, but tragically, both of them passed away within an hour.
Their mother was nowhere to be found, and without her warmth and milk, the kittens didn’t survive the cold, wet conditions.
The man was determined to do everything in his power to save the only surviving kitten, Minka.
He spent two hours calling every vet clinic in Little Rock before someone referred him to Community Cats of Central Arkansas.
That’s how he reached their rescue coordinator, Sarah Richardson, who welcomed Minka into her home with open arms.
Tiny but Mighty
Minka was very premature, weighing only 1.07 ounces – half the typical weight for a newborn kitten!
Survival rates are low, even for full-term kittens. Sarah feared Minka would need to be tube-fed, but this little tortie had a strong will to live.
Neonatal kittens, especially those born prematurely, are extremely fragile. They need to be kept warm, fed every 2-3 hours, and monitored around the clock.
Despite the odds, Minka was a fighter. Over the next few weeks, she blossomed into a happy, healthy kitten.
She slowly gained weight, opened her eyes, and began to thrive! It was nothing short of a miracle.
Minka’s foster sent the hotel employee who found her daily updates on her progress.
When she was 3 weeks old, she was taken to the hotel she was found at to visit the man who saved her life.
Most kittens weigh around 3 ounces at birth, but now at three weeks old, Minka weighs 4.5 ounces.
She weighs slightly more than what a healthy kitten should weigh at birth.
It will be a while before Minka is ready to be adopted, but when the time comes, Sarah is going to make sure this sweet girl finds a very special forever family.
Saving Lives, One Kitten at a Time
Minka’s story is a testament to resilience, the power of community, and the dedication of rescuers like Sarah.
She has gone above and beyond to grow the foster network for Community Cats of Central Arkansas, making sure every cat and kitten has a safe place to land.
Right now, Community Cats of Central Arkansas is in the thick of kitten season. They’re caring for over 120 kittens under 4 weeks old, including 26 bottle babies like Minka.
If you’d like to support their life saving missions, please consider donating food and other supplies through their Amazon Wishlist.
Every cat in their care is spayed/neutered and fully vetted before adoption. If you’d like to contribute toward their medical care, you can donate through the Meow Mail program.
Minka’s story is just one of many. With your help, we can ensure there are more happy endings ahead.
About Our Heroes
Community Cats of Central Arkansas is a small, foster-based 501(c)3 non-profit that rescues and rehabilitates cats that are victims of cruelty, neglect, and abandonment in a rural community with high animal cruelty rates and limited resources.
They rely entirely on donations from kind-hearted individuals to continue saving cats & kittens that would otherwise suffer a tragic fate.
In addition to their direct intake, they pull special needs cats, senior cats, and cats in critical condition from the top kill shelters in the state to prevent unnecessary euthanasia.
CCCA’s integrity and commitment to animal welfare is the reason why National Kitty proudly supports and advocates for them by using our media presence to draw awareness to their rescue efforts. Please follow Sarah Richardson on Instagram and Community Cats of Central Arkansas on Facebook to witness more of their heartwarming rescue missions.