Three newborn kittens were left on a doorstep, wrapped in paper towels. One of them was much smaller but had a mighty will to live.
SparkleErin
An animal rescuer received three 1-day-old kittens left on her doorstep. They were wrapped in paper towels, small, fragile, and cold to the touch.
She immediately took them in and warmed their tiny bodies to a safe temperature before feeding them. She contacted Wrenn Rescues, hoping to find a bottle feeder who could provide the round-the-clock care they desperately needed.
The dark brown tabby was about half the size of her two orange brothers.
Sparkle weighed only 57 grams when she came to the rescueErin
Initially, the original finder only saw two kittens. Hours later, they discovered the third one lying in the grass but could not locate the mother cat.
The tiny brown tabby survived the night despite her fragile state. The next day, volunteers with Wrenn Rescues worked together to bring the trio, Brawny, Bounty, and Sparkle (the runt), to a foster home.
Her brothers, Brawny and Bounty, rallied around herErin
"Sparkle was only 57 grams when she came to us. She needed a little kickstart and a lot of love and time. We started subcutaneous fluids, Karo syrup, and tube feeding every hour in hopes that she would gain some strength," Erin, the foster mom, shared with Love Meow.
"We honestly did not think she was going to survive her first night with us. She wasn't eating, was lethargic, and didn't have much of a meow. Her brothers rallied around her, encouraging her."
Sparkle at 85 grams; her brothers at 140 gramsErin
After three days of hourly tube feeding and supportive care, Sparkle perked up and latched onto the bottle for the first time. "This little girl is in for the fight of her life. She is trying so hard."
Sparkle made small gains with each meal. At 85 grams, she held her own with her 140-gram brothers.
Erin
"After about a week of solid feeds, she finally started gaining. Slow and steady was going to win her race. When she hit 100 grams, we knew she was on her way."
Sparkle overcame many hurdles in the first few days of her life.
Sparkle reached 100 gramsErin
She and her brothers took comfort from a faux mama with a heartbeat. They had soft blankets to sleep on and caring humans to cater to their needs.
At nine days old, Sparkle nearly tripled her weight and challenged her brothers to drink from a bottle as much as she did.
Erin
The trio moved into a spacious playpen after three weeks in an incubator. The extra room encouraged them to practice their walk and exercise their adventurous spirit.
"Their hefty bellies helped build the leg muscles."
Erin
Watching the two brothers cross milestones inspired Sparkle to try new food, use the litter box, and eventually surpass the one-pound mark.
"Sparkle wants to be the baby a little longer, so she still enjoys the bottle."
Erin
"Brawny is the loudest, pushiest little guy, but Bounty is the biggest and the leader. Sparkle is chatty and so sweet. A little snuggle is all she needs to just melt right into you.
"She is a true testament to the saying 'fostering saves lives.'"
Erin
"They are living up o their names, with Bounty being the quicker picker-upper, always eating the most. Brawny seems larger than life. And Sparkle...well, she just shines!"
Erin
Share this story with your friends. More on the three kittens and Erin's fosters on Instagram and Wrenn Rescues on Instagram.
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