A kitten transformed from an orphaned newborn to a boisterous young cat with a family of his dreams.
Roscoe the kittenNikki Martinez
A black and white kitten was found orphaned and alone at just a few days old. He was turned into a city shelter, awaiting rescue. Nikki Martinez, an animal rescuer and foster carer, stepped up to help.
The kitten had all the odds against him without a cat mother to nurse from. His eyes were still closed, ears folded, and he was in need of a lot of TLC.
Nikki immediately started bottle-feeding him every couple of hours and made sure that he was kept warm and comfortable around the clock.
He was found motherless and brought into a city shelter, needing rescueNikki Martinez
With a heated bed, a full belly and a clean and cozy environment, the kitten named Roscoe perked up. By the time he was one week old, he began to make good gains and grow in strength.
Nikki could breathe a sigh of relief seeing that he was thriving. "That's when I started to be more confident that he would be ok," Nikki shared with Love Meow.
He was so happy to be warm and have a full bellyNikki Martinez
At four weeks old, Roscoe graduated from an incubator into a spacious playpen. He was excited and ready to put his little limbs to good use.
In the weeks that followed, Roscoe continued to hit one milestone after another, and he made everyone so proud.
He was nursed back to health and grew by leaps and boundsNikki Martinez
He learned to eat like a big boy and successfully grew out of the bottle. He figured out how to use the litter box on his own, and his personality emerged.
That's when Nikki discovered Roscoe's mischievous side and what an endearing little rascal he was.
Nikki Martinez
When Roscoe wasn't exploring around the house or being Nikki's little shadow, he was likely plotting his next antic. "No less than 30 times a day this little wild boy hides around a corner so he can jump out and surprise me," Nikki added.
Watch Roscoe the kitten in this cute video:
Roscoe would see his foster mom coming and back up around the corner to ambush. He would catch her by surprise with his silly maneuvers, and fill the house with constant laughter.
He mastered the art of crab-walking and was excellent at getting his zoomies on.
He turned into a little mischief-maker and filled the house with many anticsNikki Martinez
Roscoe has come a long way since the day he was picked up from the shelter at just four days old.
"There were countless bottle feedings, nights with very little sleep and a lot of love poured into caring for little Roscoe," Nikki shared.
Nikki Martinez
Nikki and her husband worked as a team to help little Roscoe grow into a happy, healthy and rambunctious kitty that he is today.
All the hard work paid off when the kitten found the family of his dreams.
Getting ready for his big dayNikki Martinez
A couple who had adopted Nikki's former foster (Olive), fell head over heels for Roscoe. They had another kitty who sadly passed away, and Olive was in desperate need of a friend.
"Olive will be lonely no more. Wild man Roscoe has arrived to cheer everyone up."
Happy and lovedNikki Martinez
Share this story with your friends. More on Nikki's rescues and fosters on Instagram @myfosterkittens and Facebook.
Related story: Kitten Found in the Woods By Hikers Makes It to Comfortable Nest After Quite the Journey