Kitten Demands to Remain with Family Who Helped Him Survive

Two pregnant feral cats were rescued and brought to FosterBabyCats, a kitten rescue in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this year. Jillian, founder of FosterBabyCats, took them in and provided a safe haven for the expectant cat moms to raise their babies.

About a week later, the light calico gave birth to a tiny ginger kitten named Bean who weighed in at just 75 grams. Despite being so small, the little guy had the heart of a lion and incredible resolve to live.

Three days later, a second kitten named Burrito, was brought into the world. The two immediately lined up against their mom, nursing away in bliss. As they continued to progress, Jillian noticed something special about Bean — he was smaller than his brother and had twisted legs.

“I’m trying to do everything I can to give him the best fighting chance,” Jillian shared with Love Meow.

With round-the-clock care and lots of love, Bean and Burrito were steadily gaining weight. They both grew cute chonky bellies and proudly showed them off after each feeding.

After being seen by veterinarians, Bean was diagnosed with suspect developing osteochondrodystrophy (a disorder of bones and cartilage) and possible hydrocephalus.

The little ginger took everything in stride and continued to live everyday to the fullest. He quickly caught up in size with Burrito and wanted to do everything just like his brother.

Jillian is monitoring his condition and providing the best care to ensure his quality of life. She continues to help the kitten strengthen his legs with exercises and stretching.

Bean is encouraged to practice walking every day, along with physical therapy to improve his mobility. “He’ll be practicing walking on his own and walking with me supporting his upper body,” Jillian wrote.

Burrito has been the biggest cheerleader during Bean’s physical therapy. He walks and even runs with his brother to egg him on. “Bean doesn’t always want to come to me but he usually likes to follow his brother around.”

The ginger boy enjoys wrestling with his brother, getting belly rubs, and doing the most adorable roly-polies. He is always in good spirits and has so much to give.

In just a couple of weeks, Bean has greatly improved his gait and can walk around like a champ. After a good exercise, he likes to snuggle up to his brother for a nice nap to recharge before the next play session.

“He is doing really well gaining muscle mass and learning how to move around in a way that works best for his body. The (two brothers) absolutely adore getting out of the nest to run and wrestle on the yoga mats.”