The life of a feral cat is difficult to say the least. They face disease, injury, predation and harsh weather, not to mention the constant search for food.
Recently TinyKittens Rescue discovered a colony of more than 50 ferals on a rural property near their facility in Fort Langley, British Columbia. Among them was the tiniest kitten they have ever rescued – a mere fraction the size of his littermates.
They named the special little tabby Nano. At 5 weeks old he weighed in at only 5 ounces. His four brothers were all well over a pound and healthy, but poor Nano was weak, dehydrated and suffering from severe anemia due to a flea infestation.
The feral mama, Nano and his littermates were removed from a delapidated barn that was scheduled to be torn down and taken into the care of TinyKittens. Despite the tender nurturing from his mother and the volunteers who rescued him, Nano passed away a week later.
Aside from his tiny size, he had also been born with several deformities including a life-threatening diaphragmatic hernia. His vet attempted surgery, but his tiny body was unable to recover. Nano’s final week was spent being loved and snuggled in a warm, safe place with plenty of food. He was free of fleas and out of pain.
In the short week that Nano was in their care, he touched the hearts of his rescuers and their social media supporters with his bright eyes and heroic spirit. One Facebook follower commented, in part:
“…I don’t think he intended to live a long life. I think he was always going to leave us, it was just a matter of how long it took to save his family. Nano was a hero. He accomplished his mission. Look at all he did in a mere few weeks. He is a miracle…”
The volunteers at TinyKittens were determined to ensure that the brave little kitten’s death would not be in vain. They plan to host their first ever Feral Fix-a-thon of all the cats in Nano’s colony in his honor.
The event is scheduled to take place the weekend of October 15 with the Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) efforts live-streamed via the TinyKittens Facebook page. The staff at Mountain View Veterinary Hospital will be donating their spay/neuter services.
TinyKittens posted via Facebook:
“Nano came into our lives to teach us even the tiniest life has value. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t like other kittens, it didn’t matter that he was tiny, or that his floof was always in disarray, or that he had special toes. What mattered was his extraordinary ability to open our hearts and inspire us to make a difference.”
What a beautiful tribute to a tiny kitten who made a huge impact on his rescuers.
All images c/o TinyKittens Rescue