A foster caregiver fell in love with this disabled kitten the moment he arrived at her door. After seeing photos of his adorable face online, the internet is head-over-heels, too! Tater Tot was originally brought home by a local dog, whose owner happened to be a volunteer at Kitty CrusAIDe, a Salt Lake City cat rescue. That’s how he met his new mom, Ash Houghton, one of the organization’s co-directors.
Unfortunately, the little guy wasn’t in the best shape. Tater Tot was extra tiny, and his cleft palate made it necessary for him to be fed through a tube. On top of that, there was a problem with his legs.
“He was born with all four of his legs malformed,” Ash explained to Fox News Digital. “The front ones were sitting with a sharp 90-degree bend at the wrist, and his back legs are totally curly.”
To correct the shape of his legs, Tater Tot wears splints. Eventually, he’ll be able to receive surgery for his cleft palate, but he won’t be up for adoption in the meantime.
Tater Tot became an internet sensation due to the adorably cranky-looking expression on his teeny face. It all started when Ash shared a picture of the little guy to the Facebook group “This cat is G R O M P Y.” Kitty CrusAIDe is also getting a lot of attention on TikTok due to their cute videos of the feisty kitten.
“I think people love an underdog, and this spud has a lot of things working against him, but his zest and fight for life is super inspiring,” Ash said. “I know he’s inspired me!”
The foster mom added that she hopes the kitten’s story will encourage more pet lovers to adopt animals with disabilities.
“Animals with disabilities or special needs have a much harder time finding a forever home, but if you are willing to put in the time and energy, it’s so incredibly worth it,” she said.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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