This is 'Smokey Joe', a little stray kitten that was rescued by my sister and my parents. My sister's neighbor brought the kitten to my sister after finding it on the road. It was cold, starving and soaking wet, having been abandoned for days. My sister brought the kitten over to my parents home. My parents had to give this kitten some very intensive care, as it was suffering from malnutrition, dehydration and exposure from the cold, rainy weather. The poor thing was very close to death at that point.
My parents didn't think the kitten would even survive the night. My mom had to feed him with a special tube/dropper as it was difficult for it to eat.
Miraculously, it survived the night and his vital signs began to improve the next day.
I went there on Saturday afternoon and took these photos of him. He's still weak and so very tiny and thin, but he's come a long ways since they found him. He's a very sweet and affectionate little fellow, and he purrs a lot.
My mom told me he likes to curl up next to a heated pad that they have. The pad is one of those things you can put in the microwave oven for about a minute, and then it's nice and warm. So I warmed it up in the microwave, then I put the warm pad on the chair, and I carefully placed the kitten in it. Well, he loved it! He immediately curled up against the pad and shut his eyes.
Knowing how this little guy has suffered rips my heart out. I don't know how someone could so mercilessly leave a helpless kitten out in the cold and abandon it like that. If that person could only imagine the suffering it has endured.
My sister knows a guy who will take the kitten home on Tuesday. I hope his little life from now on is filled with love and caring.
