IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO SAVE A KITTEN AND FRESHFIELDS COMMUNITY CAME THROUGH!

In the first days of September, a tiny, underweight little scrap of fur and bones was brought to the Liverpool cattery. She weighed 124g: the same as a small apple. No-one thought she would survive. This is the story of little Meep – and how dozens of people helped to save her!

Her first helpers found her alone, abandoned in a yard. They picked her up and looked after her,  she was so tiny they came to Freshfields for help, where she went straight into a miniature incubator donated by our great supporter Kath, and into the care of a fosterer.

When she wasn’t sleeping the kitten made loud ‘meeps’ for attention, so she got her name! Tiny Meep was so desperate for the formula milk in her special feeding bottle that she kicked and clawed at it, so she was swaddled gently in a little donated pink blanket so she could concentrate on suckling. The litres of milk she got through were bought with generous gifts, of course!

One eye was infected and gummed closed – making her look like a cute pirate – so she went to the vet’s for antibiotics. Gifts from supporters paid for that, and for a return visit when she refused to poo for far too long, and when the time came for her to be vaccinated. 

It was clear that this small kitten had a huge personality, helping her fight to survive. Over the weeks Meep gained weight fast, she responded to sights and sounds, began to play, purr, groom and dream. She received dozens of anonymous donations: the scales for her daily weigh-in, the fluffy blankets, the soft mousies, the feather wand and her favourite weird spring toy were all gifts, as were her tiny carrier with the miniature hot-water bottle and the little pink crate which became her bedroom when she was at Freshfields, protected by a cot bumper so she didn’t get stuck in the gaps!

Kath helped again by giving Meep tins of specialist weaning mousse, and quickly Meep progressed to eating Smilla and Lily’s Kitchen kitten food (nothing but the best!). It was a proud moment when she used a litter tray all by herself for the first time, filled with BioKatlet litter that was soft for her tiny paws. Of course, all these were donations from lovely people who had no idea that they were helping such a special kitten!

Hands-on help is also vital for kittens, and Meep had visitors and cuddlers to tell her how grown-up and beautiful she was. Jane became doting Deputy Fostermum to cover a week’s holiday. Volunteer Lucy sat on a blanket on the cattery floor and played and cuddled, helping Meep develop her essential hunting and pouncing skills. As she grew, even the fosterers’ cats joined in. Silden, Copper, Kitty Little and Paddy sniffed, washed, growled, chased, played and taught naughty, madcap Meep vital lessons on How To Be a Cat.

 For 10 weeks the Freshfields community of kind people helped this tiny, poorly kitten grow, and by mid-November, when she was adopted, she was a stunning little cat. Huge thanks to everyone who helped her on her journey, and who help us in so many ways to carry on our work.