Tough enough

To meet Ginny and Gina today, it's hard to believe that they've already come such a long way. For kittens their age, they should weigh well over a pound. Instead, they weigh only about 12 ounces. But that's a huge improvement from where they started.

They were found under a trailer in southern Utah, so skinny and dehydrated there was hardly anything left to them. Their mom was nowhere to be found. Lack of nourishment wasn't the only strike against them. They had severe eye infections and were covered in fleas. They also had worms. In a nutshell, they were being eaten alive.

Hard to imagine how they survived, but they proved to be made of some mighty strong stuff. After a rescuer found Ginny and Gina, they came to Best Friends. They've already gained several ounces, overcome those nasty upper-respiratory problems, and clawed their way back to health. The fact that they are still several ounces short of their ideal weight is pretty inconsequential compared to what they've had to overcome. They're on the track to full recovery now. They'll catch up in time.

And, really, making it through something so horrible only has to make them stronger, right? Imagine how thoroughly unbothered they'll be by usually scary things like vet visits. "Sheesh, you think that needle is scary? Let me tell you a story ..."

Story by David Dickson
 

Photos by Molly Wald