At seven weeks old, Mo the kitten was just the size of a 2-week-old kitty.
Anne Arundel County Animal Care and Control (AACACC) in Millersville, Maryland, received a young cat mom and her three kittens. One of them was just 1/3 the size of his siblings.
"He is supposed to be seven weeks old but only weighs 0.5 pounds. He arrived with his very young mom and two healthy siblings, who each weigh about 1.8 pounds," Friends of Anne Arundel County Animal Care and Control shared with Love Meow.
From the day they took in the little family, Mo proved to be a fighter. Despite being so tiny and frail, he never stopped purring and was so grateful to have someone to care for him.
Knowing that he would need specialized care, they reached out to Ellen Carozza, a Feline Licensed Veterinary Technician at NOVA Cat Clinic in Arlington, Virginia.
Ellen took in the little ball of fur without hesitation. "We love helping out the community with their critical babies and get them the medical care necessary to survive," Ellen shared with Love Meow.
Little Mo, aka Mort, quickly bounced back after some much-needed vet care and plenty of TLC.
In just two days, Mort has put on weight and gained a lot of strength. He's walking around on all fours with his new-found energy — a 180 from when he first arrived.
"The real hero is Ellen. She created a nonprofit, the Chris Griffey Memorial Feline Foundation that helps the most difficult cases of all. She and the clinic have done amazing things for kittens from AACACC," volunteers of AACACC told Love Meow.
Mort loves his new blankets and warm bed. He is receiving round-the-clock care, all the love and cuddles from everyone at Ellen's home.
Mort adores Ellen's husband who very much enjoys the kitty's company but doesn't want to admit to it.
"Every single kitten tucks themselves to sleep behind my husband. He complains about them...and then I catch him taking selfies with each kitten," Ellen added.
Their resident cat Benny who has helped countless rescued kittens, has taken the little guy under his wing. As soon as he wakes up from his nap, he gets back to his dad patrol and watches over Mort every step of the way.
Thanks to the shelter volunteers who never gave up on him and NOVA Cat Clinic for taking him on, the little guy is finally growing.
He still has a long road ahead of him but has a huge support system behind him, cheering him on.
Watch Mort in this video:
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