A cat found on the side of the road was thought to be a 7-week-old kitten, but it turns out it’s actually much older.
PixieHeather
Pixie the cat was found on the side of the road and taken to a local animal shelter. “They initially thought it was a kitten because of the size,” Heather, an emergency room nurse who frequently takes in critically ill kittens, told Love Meow.
Pixie weighed less than two pounds and was about the size of a seven-week-old kitten, but already had her permanent teeth in. She was a mysterious little cat who was estimated to be nearly a year old.
When the shelter realized Pixie needed some extra help, they asked Heather for help: “They called me and asked me to do some magic to help Pixie gain some weight.”
Heather
Pixie was a tiny little creature, and incredibly personable. What she lacked in size she made up for in personality. “Anyone who met Pixie fell in love with her. She loved to be carried on your back like a baby, and she trusted her people. It was impossible not to love her and fight for her.”
While treating Pixie’s severe stomach problems, Heather began working on improving her appetite.
Heather
She searched extensively for suitable food and provided supplemental care for Pixie, and over time it became apparent that Pixie would not grow to a normal size.
She was as tiny as a kitten, but behaved like a cat, with a strong purring sound that always gave away her hiding place. “She’s as coordinated, climbs, jumps and moody as an adult cat. Her eyes are very expressive.”
Pixie found a new hiding spot, but was given away by a loud rumbling noise.Heather
Pixie enjoyed the company of Noi, a blind cat about her age but five times larger. “She had no trouble putting him back in the right position.”
She also rescued a seven-week-old kitten, Buttercup, who wrestled and ran around with her like siblings. “Buttercup would follow Pixie around and annoy her. I think Pixie enjoyed the company.”
Pixie and her foster parents Noy and ButtercupHeather
Pixie is a master at finding the coziest place to nap. Finding a bag of clothes, she jumps in and buries herself under a pile of soft blankets.
Hoping to cure Pixie’s chronic tummy troubles, Heather went to great lengths to help her: “We tried everything – it was two steps forward and one step back for a few months. Finally, the vet at the shelter decided to try a fecal transplant (oral capsules).”
She found a bag of clothes and jumped right in.Heather
After much dedicated and loving care, Pixie had grown to an adult cat weighing 3.5 pounds and showing signs of improvement, but still not “neutered.”
Heather began to worry about whether Pixie would be “adoptable” because it would take an incredibly responsible and dedicated person to give her the best life possible.
Heather
One day, she received a message from a woman named Trina, who had a cat with the same condition as Pixie, and the two corresponded every day for the next three weeks.
“She convinced me to do everything in her power to help Pixie, and Pixie’s new mom has thoughtfully planned her housing and medical facilities. I can’t think of a better combination.”
Pixie and her eternal human motherTrina
One night, Heather sat down with Pixie to tell her the good news. “She blinked slowly, stretched her little legs out over my shoulders, and rested her head on my chest, as if she’d understood what I was saying and wanted to say thank you.”
After months in foster care, Pixie was on the long drive to start her new life. On the drive home, she rested on Trina’s shoulder and slept on her lap.
Trina
Pixie quickly found a sunbathing spot by the window, her rumbling echoing throughout the room.
With treatment and dietary adjustments, Pixie’s energy increased and her personality began to shine. “She crawled into the grocery bag hanging by the door and found a cozy new place to hang out,” Trina said.
Pixie likes to put herself in the bagTrina
Pixie was quickly introduced to the other cats and, despite being the smallest, she held her own.
Now, Pixie is officially off her medication and thriving with her forever family, enjoying a day of running around the house with her feline friends before rejuvenating on the couch, in her comfy bed, or snuggled up with her owner.
Although she is fully grown, she is much smaller than her feline friends.Trina
“I think she’s happy here and has settled in well with the other horses in the herd.”
Trina
Share this story with your friends. Heather’s Foster Parents’ Instagram and Pixie on Instagram.
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