How a Big-Hearted Rescuer Fell for a Big-Headed Kitten
We would like to give you an update on one of our previous Giving Tuesday kitties, Blossom. She was known at the time (2021) as “The Big-Headed Kitten. Now she’s living her best life.
The following came to us from Blossom’s adopter:
We decided that having two cats, Charlie and Benji, didn’t quite complete our family and we were thinking of bringing in another cat. We saw Skye from SCB, who we adopted Benji from, and mentioned this to her, and she told us about Blossom. Blossom is a special little kitten who had a head injury and was healing and not quite ready for adoption. She showed us pictures and we immediately fell in love. We quickly decided to adopt her when she was ready, in early August of 2021.
When that time came, we brought Blossom home, and she was eager to meet her new brothers. She wasted no time in getting to know them, and she took to us right away. We felt she really belonged with us. She really loves her brothers, especially older brother Charlie, our orange tabby. Of course, she bonded with her little brother Benji. I say “little”, even though Blossom is a year younger than Benji, she’s a little bit bigger than him. But they are almost twins, as they have similar patterns and coloring. In fact, they are like true brother and sister, at times chasing each other and wrestling. Blossom has the cutest face with a very adorable bright pink nose. But don’t let that cuteness fool you, she’s smart as a whip; in fact, she knows how to close doors!
When we brought a new cat tower home, she immediately claimed it has hers, and loves to lay on the top perch with us when we are in the room watching TV. When it’s time to play, Blossom will eagerly join in and loves to show her brothers how it’s done. We love watching her play and interact with her brothers, whether it’s snuggling for a nap near Charlie, or running around the house with Benji, or just spending time with her daddies.
It’s been such a joy watching her grow into the beautiful, curious, smart, and loving cat that she’s become, and we are so thankful that she decided to be a part of our loving family.
How Blossom arrived at Stray Cat Blues:
I remember when the desperate plea from Philly ACCT came out “Kitten with swollen head.” Understatement of the year. Skye sent the post to me over a group chat. I whistled softly to myself and typed back, “That’s a doozy.” To which she responded, “I think I’m going to get her.” Of course she was. She’s never been one to shy away from a cat or kitten with a missing leg or a broken jaw or a piece of its body on the outside when it should be on the inside. So I simply responded, “What’re you going to name her?”
She had to work when the transport came in so asked me to get the kitten. Naturally, I agreed (Skye’s enthusiasm for the misunderstood is infectious). When I arrived, the transporter handed me the box and said, “That kitten has a giant head.” To which I responded, “Yeah, we know.” Because of course we knew. That was why the kitten was coming to us. Coming to Skye.
When I got the kitten home, I unpacked her in my bathroom and immediately started taking pictures to assure Skye she was safe and sound. She did, in fact, have a giant head. That did not stop Skye from loving her. It probably made her love her all the more.
That evening, after another 12-hour shift at her day job, Skye rushed to my house to pick up her new foster, overjoyed to see the little oddity bustling about my bathroom, banging her dome piece into my bathtub. I was overjoyed to have the walking anxiety attack out of my care and to put the towels I’d assembled around every edged surface back in the closet. I wasn’t sure if you could pop a cat’s head, but I was not trying to find out.
For the next six months, Skye dutifully carted Blossom to vet appointment after vet appointment, never letting her spirit dull or her enthusiasm for the care of the big-headed kitten wane. At first, the vets thought it was hydrocephalus, a condition where fluid builds up in the brain, but after multiple radiographs were done and time passed, it was ultimately discovered it was a skull fracture and significant soft tissue swelling that had caused the strange condition.
Fortunately, the skull healed without too much issue and big-headed Blossom became a regular juvenile kitten, ready for typical spay and adoption day. And on that day, Skye’s big heart grew even bigger, because Blossom was adopted by a former adopter of Skye’s, and while their family gained a member, Skye turned around and set to rescuing the next one.
IT'S DONOR GIVING DECEMBER!
Without your help we would not be able to do what we do here at Stray Cat Blues! Every penny counts and all donations go towards medical care, supplies, adoption preparation, food, shelter and so much more! We are fortunate for anonymous donors pledging to match all donations dollar for dollar, up to $35,000 from now until December 31, 2023!
So far we raised just over $3,200!