This woman didn’t love a cat guy, so he never thought he would be snuggling and cuddling with a cat. However, things quickly changed when he met and rescued a tiny 4band0ned kitten near his house.
When a litter of stray kittens arrived at Carroll County Humane Society in Tennessee, shelter workers noticed something different about the “runt” of the group. Luckily, they knew just who to call for help — foster volunteer Michelle Roberts.
“The lady over at the humane society sent me a picture and exclaimed that they have their first dwarf cat at the humane society,” Roberts told. “She asked if I would be interested in fostering since they didn’t really have room.”
Roberts agreed to foster the kittens, and the smallest of the bunch, Widget, immediately made an impression. The kitten was born with a form of dwarfism caused by genetic abnormalities, leading to stunted growth and unusual body proportions.
“She was about 4 weeks old and I had no idea what I was doing with a 4-week-old kitten. She and I figured it out together and I instantly bonded with her. So, she was my first foster cat and my first failed foster,” Michelle laughed. “Over the years, I have rescued and fostered quite a few cats. My biggest weakness, however, is special needs kitties.”
The runt of the litter stole her heart. “I was instantly smitten with Widget,” she told. “I feel like every moment I had with her during the first few months was special.”
The kitten was born with a form of dwarfism caused by genetic abnormalities, leading to stunted growth and unusual body proportions.
“It was very obvious that she was smaller than her siblings,” Michelle said. “She weighed less than the other cats and just really wasn’t growing. You could also tell that her legs were very short and ‘chonky’ and she certainly had that ‘Grumpy Cat’ look.”
“She obviously cannot maneuver around things like most cats,” Michelle explained. “So her trying to jump on the furniture or chase after my cats was just comical. In her mind, she is a normal-size cat and should have the capabilities of a normal-size cat… but that most certainly is not the case,” she laughed.
Widget now weighs almost 7 pounds and is thriving in her forever home with three other cat siblings and a mom who adores her.
