Tiny Kitten Titan #LUV4TITAN
Donation protected
On August 5, while getting ready to leave the house in the rain my roommate checked under his car in case my neighbor's new kitten had taken refuge from the weather there. Instead he found this little guy with another kitten nearly triple his size. With some creativity and luck my daughter and I eventually located a Mama and a total of 6 kittens. I am very experienced with the development of kittens and seeing all 6 kittens had open eyes and uncurled ears I knew they were somewhere between 6-10 days old.
The fact that 5 of them could easily scoot on bellys and even wobble walk told me they were closer to 2 or 3 weeks in age. Everyone was in good shape in spite of the rain and mud and cold except for and amazingly tiny kitten.
A kitten so small, he was smaller than the palm of my hand. He also had open eyes that did not seem to focus on anything, uncurled ears that did not respond to any noise, he was nearly hairless with patches of black downfur and his skin was so thin you could see his heart beating fiercely under his little ribs. He did not meow or cry and he scooted to find warmth with his litter mates and he fought for his share of the nursing nipple. To see strength like that, in a kitten that weighed perhaps an ounce at best I knew his strength was that of a titan - and knowing he would need a strong name to match he is called Titan - the tiny kitten, with the heart of a titan.
A visit to the vet later that week told us that the litter was estimated to be 2-3 weeks of age, very healthy especially mama. This meant Titan was likely 2-3 weeks also. His mother and 5 littermates went to live with another foster volunteer and it was decided that Titan would have his best chance at life with me.
For the past several years I have been an independent volunteer rescue and foster guardian for cats; I have a focused area on young cats under a year old, orphaned kittens, pregnant females or queens with litters. I also provide the shelter, food and healthcare for rehabilitating ferals and "barn cats." My farm fronts the woods near a cemetery where sadly people think a cat without a guardian left abandoned will fare well. So I also feed and when able rehome those that wander from the wood. I had experience and knowledge the other volunteer did not and it just so happened that my foster cat had queened just days after finding Titan's family. Mariposa took Titan as her own immediately and provides what he needs to grow. I now have a second lactating queen with a litter and she shares in the nursing duties of Titan which is helping him thrive.
Titan's first vet exam had the vet suspecting that he may potentially have a chromosomal defect similar to Downs Syndrome in humans but if this is true we wouldn’t know it without diagnostic testing. Until he gets a bit older and we see more evidence to warrant the testing I decided to deal with what I do know.
What I do know, is he does have significant health issues - the least of them being his tiny size and slower development. He has been with me for 20 days and is about 30 days old. He is just at 7 ounces and nearly 2.5 inches standing up.
His new, Dr. Kipp, of Piedmont Veterinary Hospital, has identified a significant heart murmur and a hernia. The hernia will need surgical repair if he doesn't grow out of it in a couple months and the heart murmur will require a full cardiac diagnostic screening before we can even consider what treatment plan we'll utilize.
Currently, I am seeking help to cover this upcoming vet exam and testing as this is not an expense I can pretend to afford, especially as an independent foster and rescue guardian. I care for a total of 10 adults on the farm, 2 indoor adults of my own, 2 foster lactating queens, 4 indoor juveniles, 11 kittens under 2 weeks and Titan. And they are all spayed/neutered when the time comes and reside here until I am able to secure them permanent guardians. It is a cost that is difficult, especially with Titan's new medical expenses.
I am seeking donations for his medical and personal care to ensure he continues to thrive. Just after his first visit with Dr. Kipp he has begun hitting milestones with what treatments he has had. It is the definition of awesome! H
God gave him and his little family angels so let's not waste his miracle. Titan has become an example of what hope and a fighting spirit is because he thrives and wants to keep doing it! Please give to his cause and then follow him at Titan "tiny kitten, will of a titan". Videos are loaded at least every other day showing his progress which comes so fast now. Once you fall in love with him; and I promise you will, tweet everyone you can, invite your whole FB circle and share his face and gofundme everywhere you can!
#LUV4Titan @tinykittentitan
The fact that 5 of them could easily scoot on bellys and even wobble walk told me they were closer to 2 or 3 weeks in age. Everyone was in good shape in spite of the rain and mud and cold except for and amazingly tiny kitten. A kitten so small, he was smaller than the palm of my hand. He also had open eyes that did not seem to focus on anything, uncurled ears that did not respond to any noise, he was nearly hairless with patches of black downfur and his skin was so thin you could see his heart beating fiercely under his little ribs. He did not meow or cry and he scooted to find warmth with his litter mates and he fought for his share of the nursing nipple. To see strength like that, in a kitten that weighed perhaps an ounce at best I knew his strength was that of a titan - and knowing he would need a strong name to match he is called Titan - the tiny kitten, with the heart of a titan.
A visit to the vet later that week told us that the litter was estimated to be 2-3 weeks of age, very healthy especially mama. This meant Titan was likely 2-3 weeks also. His mother and 5 littermates went to live with another foster volunteer and it was decided that Titan would have his best chance at life with me.
For the past several years I have been an independent volunteer rescue and foster guardian for cats; I have a focused area on young cats under a year old, orphaned kittens, pregnant females or queens with litters. I also provide the shelter, food and healthcare for rehabilitating ferals and "barn cats." My farm fronts the woods near a cemetery where sadly people think a cat without a guardian left abandoned will fare well. So I also feed and when able rehome those that wander from the wood. I had experience and knowledge the other volunteer did not and it just so happened that my foster cat had queened just days after finding Titan's family. Mariposa took Titan as her own immediately and provides what he needs to grow. I now have a second lactating queen with a litter and she shares in the nursing duties of Titan which is helping him thrive.
Titan's first vet exam had the vet suspecting that he may potentially have a chromosomal defect similar to Downs Syndrome in humans but if this is true we wouldn’t know it without diagnostic testing. Until he gets a bit older and we see more evidence to warrant the testing I decided to deal with what I do know.
What I do know, is he does have significant health issues - the least of them being his tiny size and slower development. He has been with me for 20 days and is about 30 days old. He is just at 7 ounces and nearly 2.5 inches standing up.
His new, Dr. Kipp, of Piedmont Veterinary Hospital, has identified a significant heart murmur and a hernia. The hernia will need surgical repair if he doesn't grow out of it in a couple months and the heart murmur will require a full cardiac diagnostic screening before we can even consider what treatment plan we'll utilize.
Currently, I am seeking help to cover this upcoming vet exam and testing as this is not an expense I can pretend to afford, especially as an independent foster and rescue guardian. I care for a total of 10 adults on the farm, 2 indoor adults of my own, 2 foster lactating queens, 4 indoor juveniles, 11 kittens under 2 weeks and Titan. And they are all spayed/neutered when the time comes and reside here until I am able to secure them permanent guardians. It is a cost that is difficult, especially with Titan's new medical expenses.
I am seeking donations for his medical and personal care to ensure he continues to thrive. Just after his first visit with Dr. Kipp he has begun hitting milestones with what treatments he has had. It is the definition of awesome! H
God gave him and his little family angels so let's not waste his miracle. Titan has become an example of what hope and a fighting spirit is because he thrives and wants to keep doing it! Please give to his cause and then follow him at Titan "tiny kitten, will of a titan". Videos are loaded at least every other day showing his progress which comes so fast now. Once you fall in love with him; and I promise you will, tweet everyone you can, invite your whole FB circle and share his face and gofundme everywhere you can!
#LUV4Titan @tinykittentitan
Organizer
Malina Rome
Organizer
Hillsborough, NC
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