In October of 2019, a woman found a helpless kitten who had recently been hit by a car.
It was clear something was wrong, so she immediately started searching for help.
Keep reading to discover this beautiful kitten’s incredible rescue journey!
Taking Action
The woman who had originally discovered the injured kitten reached out to Jen’s Kitty Rehab, a non-profit cat rescue organization in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
When Jen saw the message on her Facebook page, she wasted no time rushing to the rescue.
She couldn’t bear to let the kitten go another day without the help and love he needed.
One of his legs was broken and he couldn’t move it at all. The other leg was wounded too, leaving the kitten in pain with two injured legs.
Jen started to expect the worst…
Growing Pains
“The assumption going in, at least for a couple of months, was that we would have to amputate the leg,” Jen shared.
He was only 5 weeks old and under 4 pounds, so Jen’s vet suggested they hold off on the surgery until he reached a safe weight.
“So, the plan was to keep him, let him grow and get bigger and happier and keep him safe until he was old enough for surgery,” Jen said.
After realizing he would be with her for a while, Jen gave the sweet boy a name: Berlioz!
He was named after the grey kitten from the famous Disney movie, The Aristocats.
Mending a Broken Heart
Despite Berlioz’s pain, Jen discovered he was an extremely playful and sweet cat.
But, his body wasn’t ready for the level of play he wanted to take part in!
“There was a period of time where he was recovering alone because I didn’t want him to play too hard and injure himself,” Jen said. “But, he just about stopped eating on me out of loneliness.”
Jen knew that just like human babies, kittens have social needs too. Berlioz needed a friend, especially after all he’d been through.
Berlioz’s health didn’t mean just healing on the outside. He needed to be happy in order to be healthy, so Jen allowed Berlioz to meet the other rescue kittens for some supervised play dates.
Tiny but Mighty
Cured of his loneliness, Berlioz began to eat and gain weight. Day by day, he was growing bigger and stronger.
Now that he had friends to look forward to playing with, he felt motivated to move around more!
He still couldn’t move his right leg, but he adapted and learned to get himself around using his left leg.
However, there was a big problem!
“He walked on the underside of his foot,” Jen shared. “This caused the fur to come off and some skin breakdown on his broken leg, which I was afraid would cause infection.”
Thankfully, Berlioz also realized the way he walked wasn’t good for him.
As he gained strength back, he began walking on the correct side of his foot.
The Truth Revealed
Every time Jen brought Berlioz in to the vet to see if he was ready for surgery, the vet would check if he had regained feeling in his foot.
“He squeezed his little toe to see if he had any sensation, and sensation had returned!” Jen said. “He let out a little yelp and pulled his foot back.”
Jen and her vet locked eyes in astonishment. They couldn’t believe Berlioz had regained feeling in his leg.
It was a miracle!
Happily Ever After
Instead of scheduling a surgery date for an amputation, the vet set a date for a neuter surgery.
Shortly after he was put up for adoption, he found the perfect home.
After all, Berlioz was irresistible. Anyone who met him fell in love with him.
“He is in a great home,” Jen said. “He has cat brothers and sisters and a dog too that he snuggles with.”
Now, with all the love and friends he could ever ask for, Berlioz is one happy rescue kitty!
Follow Jen’s Kitty Rehab on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all their latest rescue kittens!
Susan
Monday 14th of June 2021
Thank you for saving this precious beautiful cat ? You are a hero.
Mark
Saturday 15th of May 2021
I can see how Berlioz is a talking cat from the photos. And so beautiful too. Back in 1973 when I was still living at home we had a kitten that was apparently born paralyzed in the back legs. Perhaps the spinal cord was defective or twisted at birth. Still he was the most darling kitten we had in a long time. Other issues developed and he died at 9 weeks but for the short time he was with us was treasured.
Mary
Thursday 13th of May 2021
What a Fantastic Miracle. Glad he is in a Great Home. He is so adorable.
CHRISTINE Dennis
Thursday 13th of May 2021
So Do I all Gray and also Gray/White ones too, those are my favorite - I also LOVE ALL FURRKITTIES.
Sheila Seaborn
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
So great he recovered he is a beautiful grey kitten thank you for saving his life.