Cats pamper kitten with purrs

Evelyn the kitten sitting in a sunbeam meowing at a much larger black and white cat
After losing her home, an incontinent kitten joins a team of doting feline caregivers in Cat World.
By Sarah Thornton

You know what they say: It takes a village. But does that apply to kittens? As it happens, when it comes to tiny Miss Evelyn, the saying couldn’t be more true. Evelyn was born incontinent because of an underdeveloped hind end. She has Manx syndrome – a condition caused by the same gene that gives cats stubby tails. As a result, she lost her home and ended up at a shelter where she almost lost her life.

But there was a safe place for her to go. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary supports shelters in reaching no-kill by taking in pets like Evelyn, who may need extra care before going home.

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At the Sanctuary, this blue-eyed bundle of fur was embraced by not only her caregivers, but all her new kitty roommates. Evelyn is never far from one of her doting feline friends (many of whom have similar medical conditions) and the snuggle sessions are intensely cute. The older cats engage her in playtime and cuddles, and there’s always someone on standby with a sandpapery tongue to fix her fur when it’s a bit ruffled up. They’ve fully taken Evelyn under their paws, and she is thriving, pampered in purrs.

The little kitten who so needed a second chance and a whole lot of love got the softest of landings. (And we cannot express how adorable her sweet village really is.)

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill by 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.

This article was originally published in the September/October 2023 issue of Best Friends magazine. Want more good news? Become a member and get stories like this six times a year.

Silhouette of two dogs, cat and kitten

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