Mookie was just barely alive when he was found. After being placed in intensive care and with a loving foster home, the teeny kitten is now thriving.
Mookie was coated in fleas and had an upper respiratory infection that was so bad the poor thing could barely open his eyes.
He needed immediate intensive care. Thankfully, Taryn, a foster volunteer with Newborn Kitten Rescue in Arizona, offered to help.
Barely alive
She took the sickly kitten home from the shelter and began working to help him heal. She named him Mookie and got him nice and cleaned up.
He got some medicine for his eyes and nebulizer treatments for his chest infection. A nice meal left his belly full before bed.
Mookie slept soundly in a clean bed with a cuddle toy that had a heartbeat to mimic the sound he would have been soothed by if he was close to his mother.
“Despite being super sick, he was a unicorn baby, using the litter box perfectly and eating on his own, both on the first tries,” Taryn told with Love Meow.
Mookie was doing immensely better within a week. He gained weight, his infection cleared up, and his eyes were fully open.
And his clean coat was fuzzier than ever. Now that Mookie was feeling better, his personality started to shine.
He liked to play and socialize with other cats. He would play all day until he was utterly worn out and ready for bed.
“He spent lots of time with some rowdy (cat) teenagers named Gemma and Sydney, and easily held his own,” Taryn said.
Unlike most cats, Mookie loved visiting the vet. So, he started to hang around there more often.
“He loved going to work at the vet’s office, because he knew he would get so many snuggles from all the staff throughout the day. He was our therapy kitten when the day got rough,” Taryn said.
He brings joy to many people who pass through that office’s doors. Mookie grew up to have a big personality. He would spend his days running around and standing on his back legs to look like a big boy.
Mookie’s new family
“He has the coolest little personality, is absolutely fearless, and loves to snuggle when his zoomie time is over,” Taryn said. “He doesn’t ever get tired of playing, especially with boxes, where he can play hide and seek. When he finally is ready to wind down, he likes his snuggle blankie.”
One of the rescue’s volunteers fell in love with Mookie and gave him a forever home. They also adopted another can so that Mookie could have a sister to play with.
The two get along exceptionally well, and Mookie is a very happy boy. You can learn more about kittens like Mookie at Newborn Kitten Rescue on Instagram @newbornkittenrescue.