Tiny but Mighty Orphan Kitten Grows Big & Strong Despite the Odds

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In early March of this year, a newborn kitten was found in a woman’s yard with its umbilical cord still attached.

The rescuer could tell the baby was only days old and would need help immediately.

Keep reading to learn how this little angel found safety and love when the odds were against her!

Rushing to Rescue

The woman who found the kitten suspected the mother had had been attacked by the neighbor’s dogs.

The mother was no where in sight and her freshly born babies were left to fend for themselves.

Thankfully, when one of the kittens was found, the rescuer knew exactly what to do.

She called Stephanie Pinkerton, an experienced cat rescuer in Conway, AR.

As soon as Stephanie heard the news, she hopped in her car and rushed to the woman’s house at 4am.

Beating the Odds

Since the kitten still had her umbilical cord attached, she couldn’t have been more than a few days old. 

Kittens this young have a high mortality rate. Stephanie feared the baby wouldn’t make it.

She knew the kitten needed to be bottle fed and monitored hourly.

She also knew that this little kitten was worth saving. Stephanie couldn’t turn her back knowing there was something she could do.

Stephanie called Shadi, a friend who had experience bottle feeding newborn kittens. 

Shadi happily accepted the kitten and began bottle feeding her round-the-clock.

Much like human babies, newborn kittens needed constant attention.

Shadi would make sure the kitten was warm and feed her every two hours, day and night.

Tragic News

A few days later, Shadi got another call from Stephanie saying that another kitten had been found.

With two kittens on her hands needing to be bottle fed every two hours, Shadi got to work.

At first, the second kitten (a baby boy) seemed healthy. He was bigger than the first kitten and more vocal.

Sadly, it was too late for the baby boy.

He had gone too long without food and started showing symptoms of fading kitten syndrome.

Despite Shadi’s best efforts to revive him, the baby brother passed away within 24 hours of being found.

He earned his angel wings far too early, but there was still hope for his sister.

She showed promising signs that she’d pull through.

Shadi was determined to help her survive.

Slowly But Surely

The sweet infant kitten was named Brie. With each passing day, she grew bigger and stronger.

Soon, Brie was gaining weight and able to go longer between feeding times.

Shadi kept at it, doing her best to make sure little Brie had everything she needed.

Eventually, her umbilical cord fell off and she began to be more mobile!

Brie’s personality started to shine as she explored the world around her.

At this point, Shadi was extremely optimistic and felt the worst of things had passed. 

As Brie started to gain movement and awareness, Shadi realized it wasn’t healthy for her to be alone.

Kittens do best with their mom and siblings. Sadly, little Brie didn’t have a family to snuggle with and learn from.

While Shadi was doing her best to foster her, Brie needed more than Shadi could offer.

“Once kittens become mobile, they really shouldn’t be alone anymore,” Shadi shared. “It’s healthier for them to have social interaction with other kittens their age. They need buddies and partners.”

A New Family

As much as Shadi had grown attached to Brie, she knew she had a difficult decision to make.

Brie needed to be with kittens close to her own age. She needed siblings to snuggle and play with.

It was hard for Shadi to say goodbye to little Brie, but she knew she was making the right decision.

Shadi knew just the place for Brie.

Community Cats of Central Arkansas had recently rescued a litter of kittens around Brie’s age.

Brie was welcomed by the rescue with open arms!

Brie was quickly integrated with a group of kittens, though she was much smaller than the rest of them.

These kittens were delighted to have a new friend and snuggle buddy.

Finally, Brie had foster siblings she could grow and thrive with.

As they kept growing, it was clear that Brie and her new kitten pals were very attached to each other!

Happily Ever After

Now, at 6 weeks old, Brie is happy and thriving.

She has a healthy appetite and plenty of friends to snuggle with at nap time.

She knows that she’ll never be alone again. Her days as an orphan are over.

Brie had a rough start and her family had to cross the rainbow bridge too soon, but she persevered.

She was spayed and vetted before meeting any potential adopters.

The day finally arrived where Brie was adopted by the perfect family.

Now she has a forever home and can look forward to a lifetime of fun and memories!

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