Tiny kitten beats the odds to shine bright

Fading kitten syndrome: It’s a condition in neonatal kittens where they fail to thrive for no obvious reason. No one caring for kittens wants to see their tiny charges come down with it because, even with intervention, sometimes kittens don’t survive it. These fragile kittens need round-the-clock care to bring them back to health. But if they beat the odds, they can go on to live long, healthy lives. A beautiful example is Bradley Cooper (the cat).

When Bradley came to the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Salt Lake City from a shelter several hours away, his body was failing. The tiny, all-black kitten was unresponsive, underweight, and dehydrated. His temperature was dangerously low and so was his blood sugar.

The veterinary team sprang into action. First, they placed Bradley in a warm incubator to raise his body temperature. Then, they started giving IV fluids and medication to stabilize him. Bradley couldn’t eat on his own, so his caregivers carefully fed him with a syringe.

Meet a foster volunteer whose determination helped save a tiny kitten’s life

It was touch and go for the little patient. But with attentive care from the vet team, Bradley slowly began to bounce back and wasn't giving up.

As Bradley grew stronger, he began eating on his own (though he made quite a mess at mealtimes). His next stop was a foster home, where a familiar face awaited him: Jennifer Lawrence, a calico kitten from the same litter. With lots of love and care from his foster family, Bradley continued to recover.

Before long, Bradley was well enough to play. Although Jennifer was much bigger, the kittens had a blast romping and wrestling together.

L.A. foster dad has helped 54 kittens, and counting

No-kill is doing what's right for each individual animal. That means giving pets like Bradley the extra care or time they need, and that’s exactly what foster volunteers do. Thanks to their foster caregivers, both kittens were healthy, happy, and thriving.

By then, Bradley and Jennifer had won over more than just their foster family. An acquaintance of their foster volunteers had fallen in love with the pair and decided to adopt both of them. So when it came time for Bradley and Jennifer to leave their foster home, they weren't saying goodbye to each other; they were heading off to their next adventure together.

Not long ago, Bradley was a fragile kitten fighting for his life. Today, he's healthy, playful, and enjoying life with Jennifer by his side. And while fading kitten syndrome threatened to dim his light, this little star is shining brighter than ever.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. 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.