u/valkiria-rising

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since my last update.

I am happy to share that Pluto officially weighs over a pound and he's a very happy and polite kitten.

He's now approximately 5 1/2 weeks old and he has learned how to use the litterbox witch is really exciting! I'm working on weaning him but it's still so much work and I've never done this before in my life. But, I'm going to be honest--I'm really struggling.

Unfortunately, raising a neonate is a lot of work, and my mental health is deteriorating. I found Pluto at a time where I'm trying to take care of myself after going on mental health leave from work and I've been neglecting myself to make sure Pluto had a fighting chance.

All the rescues I've contacted have intake holds and aren't taking any more cats right now.

I'm not sure what to do. He needs a new foster or ideally a loving, permanent home. Any advice is appreciated.

Hi everyone,

This is Pluto. I rescued him when he was approximately 2 weeks old. Today he is about 5 1/2 weeks old.

When I found him, he was only 165g. I am happy to share that Pluto officially weighs 565g, over a pound, and he's a very happy and polite kitten. While this journey has been unexpected, it's been incredibly rewarding to see this little guy thrive. But it's been very hard on my body, as caring for such a young kitten is a grueling process.

Since he's approximately 5 1/2 weeks old, he has learned how to use the litterbox which is really exciting! I'm working on weaning him but it's still so much work and I've never done this before in my life. But, I'm going to be honest--I'm really struggling.

Unfortunately, raising a neonate is a lot of work, and my mental health is deteriorating. I found Pluto at a time where I'm trying to take care of myself after going on mental health leave from work and I've been neglecting myself to make sure Pluto had a fighting chance.

I've all but exhausted the donations I received to pay for his care (not to mention California in itself is an expensive place and everything is expensive). (PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT asking for donations). Even though I have ties with a local rescue (and have contacted at least a half dozen others), they are all maxed out. The other rescues all have intake holds and aren't taking any more cats right now.

At this point, I'm no longer able to care for him. Pluto either needs a new foster home or, ideally, a permanent one.

Any advice or comments are welcomed. Thank you.

Guys, Pluto is doing so great.. he's broken 350g so that means he's double the weight he was when I rescued him! His little paws are getting so big too!

I'm soooo tempted to keep him. But I feel so badly that he's a little loner. He deserved to grow up with his littermates, and unless I find him a buddy he's going to be such a handful.

I still have time to make a decision--he's not off the bottle yet, so he won't be playing and pouncing for another week or two. But I don't want him to be bored or lonely 😭

I took this picture today. He's gotten in the habit of letting his little tongue stick out and it's the most adorable thing ever!

Just wanted to share 🥰

Hi friends,

After a really rough night struggling with shoddy feeding equipment earlier in the week, I’m happy to say Pluto's feedings are going much better after making some changes. On my last post, I was crossing my fingers for him to make it to 200 grams. As of this morning's weigh in, Pluto is at a whopping 288g!

Pluto is becoming more active and curious about his surroundings. He's crawling a lot more, and I expect that by next week he'll start taking his first steps. His vision is also getting better and now he'll lock eyes with me! It's so cute. He's a little romantic!

While this journey has been unexpected, it's been incredibly rewarding to see this little guy thrive. But it's been very hard on my body, as caring for such a young kitten is a grueling process. Every 3 hours he needs to eat (fortunately we've been able to stretch it to 3.5 hours now), and that includes in the middle of the night. The sleep deprivation is REAL!

But it will all be worth it in the end. I can't wait to see how he continues to grow and more of his personality will come through.

Next week, he'll go in for his next round of dewormer, and hopefully in 4 weeks he'll be ready for his vaccines!

I also wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who sent all the positive vibes. I'm fortunate to have some awesome friends with big networks, and because of them, Pluto’s emergency vet visit has been fully covered. I am so incredibly grateful for them as well as your kindness and support here in this sub.

Thank you for rooting for this tiny little Lord of the Meownderworld. He's a little fighter. It means more than you know. 🖤

Here's recent pics of him being a happy kitty!

First, thank you to everyone who commented on my original post and offered advice, encouragement, and kindness. I’ve read every comment, even if I haven’t had the energy to reply to everyone.

The last couple of days have been a blur of bottle feedings every few hours, potty breaks, and very little sleep.

I took Pluto back to the vet yesterday, and I got some encouraging news. The vet said that if Pluto had truly developed severe feline parvo (aka feline distemper), a kitten this tiny would most likely have died by now. That was a huge relief to hear and lessened my anxiety for sure.

He was mildly dehydrated, so he got more subcutaneous fluids and was dewormed. His belly is soft, he’s got a great appetite, and he continues to eat regularly.

The best news is that he’s slowly gaining weight. When I first brought him home he weighed 165g. This morning he weighed 192g before breakfast. He’s still pretty tiny compared to a typical 3-week-old kitten, so we have a long road ahead, but he’s moving in the right direction.

His favorite place to sleep is wrapped in a ridiculously soft blanket over a warm water bottle, and he’s becoming quite opinionated about his feeding schedule. 😊

We’re definitely not out of the woods yet, but for the first time since I found him, I feel more hopeful that he's going to pull through. Now I'm focusing on ensuring I can cover all his vet visits. His next follow up is in 2 weeks so I'll keep everyone posted!

Thank you all again for rooting for my tiny little Lord of the Underworld. ❤️

First, thank you to everyone who commented on my original post and offered advice, encouragement, and kindness. I’ve read every comment, even if I haven’t had the energy to reply to everyone.

The last couple of days have been a blur of bottle feedings every few hours, potty breaks, and very little sleep.

I took Pluto back to the vet yesterday, and I got some encouraging news. The vet said that if Pluto had truly developed severe feline parvo (aka feline distemper), a kitten this tiny would most likely have died by now. That was a huge relief to hear and lessened my anxiety for sure.

He was mildly dehydrated, so he got more subcutaneous fluids and was dewormed. His belly is soft, he’s got a great appetite, and he continues to eat regularly.

The best news is that he’s slowly gaining weight. When I first brought him home he weighed 165g. This morning he weighed 192g before breakfast. He’s still pretty tiny compared to a typical 3-week-old kitten, so we have a long road ahead, but he’s moving in the right direction.

His favorite place to sleep is wrapped in a ridiculously soft blanket over a warm water bottle, and he’s becoming quite opinionated about his feeding schedule. 😊

We’re definitely not out of the woods yet, but for the first time since I found him, I feel more hopeful that he's going to pull through. Now I'm focusing on ensuring I can cover all his vet visits. His next follow up is in 2 weeks so I'll keep everyone posted!

Thank you all again for rooting for my tiny little Lord of the Underworld. ❤️

Hi Cats community,

The most unbelievable thing happened yesterday.

The last few days I've been thinking about my soul cat who passed away a year and a half ago. I have her urn on my bed and sometimes I cry over her because I miss her so much.

I told myself that I'd never have another cat again unless the Universe sent one to me.

This is Pluto. I named him after the god of death and rebirth because he's tested positive for feline parvovirus and could very well die. He's straddling this world and the one beyond the veil.

But he's a fighter--he hasn't shown any symptoms so far. As soon as I rescued him I took him to the ER because he wouldn't stop crying. He got some fluids in him, gobbled down kitten formula, received a warm blanket, and he settled in immediately for a nap. He has a follow up tomorrow at the regular vet and will likely need meds and deworming.

He's about 2.5-3 weeks old and only weighed 165g even though he should be weighing around 300g. I've had him 24 hours and managed to get him up to 190g.

I want to give this kitten a fighting chance, and I fully believe that the more people who know about him and send positive energy, it can work miracles.

If you can please send your prayers and healing energy, Pluto and I will be forever grateful. Anything helps.

Thank you for reading. May Pluto grace us with his cuteness for years to come.

Hi CDS community,

The most unbelievable thing happened yesterday.

The last few days I've been thinking about my soul cat who passed away a year and a half ago. I have her urn on my bed and sometimes I cry over her because I miss her so much.

I told myself that I'd never have another cat again unless the Universe sent one to me.

This is Pluto. I named him after the god of death and rebirth because he's tested positive for feline parvovirus and could very well die. He's straddling this world and the one beyond the veil.

But he's a fighter--he hasn't shown any symptoms so far. As soon as I rescued him I took him to the ER because he wouldn't stop crying. He got some fluids in him, kitten formula, and a warm blanket and he settled in immediately for a nap.

He's about 2.5-3 weeks old and only weighed 165g even though he should be weighing around 300g. I've had him 24 hours and managed to get him up to 190g.

I want to give this kitten a fighting chance, and I fully believe that the more people who know about him and send positive energy, it can work miracles.

If you can please send your prayers and healing energy, Pluto and I will be forever grateful. Anything helps.

Thank you for reading. May Pluto grace us with his cuteness for years to come.

Hi beloved community,

The most unbelievable thing happened yesterday.

The last few days I've been thinking about my soul cat who passed away a year and a half ago. I have her urn on my bed and sometimes I cry over her because I miss her so much.

I told myself that I'd never have another cat again unless the Universe sent one to me.

This is Pluto. I named him so because he's tested positive for feline parvovirus and could very well die. He's straddling this world and the one beyond the veil.

But he's a fighter--he hasn't shown any symptoms so far. As soon as I rescued him I took him to the ER because he wouldn't stop crying. He got some fluids in him, kitten formula, and a warm blanket and he settled in immediately for a nap.

He's about 2.5-3 weeks old and only weighed 165g even though he should be weighing around 300g. I've had him 24 hours and managed to get him up to 190g.

I want to give this kitten a fighting chance, but the vet bills are piling up. He's got another appt at the vet tomorrow because he's developed diarrhea and I'm worried he'll get dehydrated again. He needs some meds and deworming, and possibly another parvo test to ensure the first wasn't a false positive.

If you can please send your prayers and healing energy, and if anyone wishes to help financially, Pluto and I will be forever grateful. Anything helps.

Thank you for reading, and I'm thankful for this community. May Pluto grace us with his cuteness for years to come. So mote it be.

Love,

M and Pluto

Thought I'd share. Jupiter is peeking through the palm tree.

They always look like they're gonna cry lol