I’ve told you before about the amazing foster hero Hannah Shaw, better known as Kitten Lady. She specializes in neonatal kittens, who need special care.
One day, Hannah received a call from an animal control officer about an abandoned kitten. The poor soul was shoved in an empty tissue box, left to await its final moments.
Hannah rushed to pick up the kitten, ready to give her the best foster home there is. However, once she met the tiny fluffball, she realized just how bad her state was.
The newborn kitten was covered in fleas, they were crawling all around her tiny face. Hannah brought the kitten home and named her Hank, ready to fight with the fleas, as she mentioned:
“It’s like fighting a war against little aliens!”
Unfortunately, over the next few days, little Hank faced yet another health issue. She had a bad eye infection, even though her eyes still hadn’t opened.
Her foster mom treated her infection carefully, and soon enough Hank opened her eyes. However, when Hannah was called to New York for a workshop, she couldn’t just leave Hank.
The tiny ginger fluffball came to New York and peacefully slept while her foster mom held a speech. Among the audience was a shelter employee who jokingly proposed to Hannah to take 3 more kittens from their shelter.
Then, Hannah came up with a genius idea. The plan was to adopt one of the kittens from the litter together with our tiny Hank, hoping it would help her become a playful kitten.
Sadly, a life-threatening disease was about to ruin everything…
Shortly after the new kitten named Kodiak came to Hannah’s home, little Hank started acting weird.
Hannah could tell something was wrong, so she decided to rule out the worst scenario possible. She tested Hank for panleukopenia, which according to PetMD could be fatal. As she said in the video:
“So I gave her a test thinking, totally, she would not have it. And then it came up positive…”
Hannah was devastated, as this virus attacks the digestive system and is highly contagious. She had to separate Hank from little Kodiak, wondering if they would ever be reunited again.
However, Hannah was determined to save Hank. She dedicated every minute of her day to Hank, carefully monitoring every change. As she shared:
“It was a battle. It feels like you’re in a war with this virus. Every time the virus makes a move, you have to make a counter move.”
This virus tends to dehydrate kittens, so Hannah made sure to supply Hank with a lot of fluids. Shortly after, our tiny fighter started showing signs of improvement. As Hannah mentioned:
“Then she got her first solid poop. Maybe it sounds insane to celebrate a solid poop, but, like, kitten’s poop, basically, tells you how they’re doing inside.”
While Hank was battling panleukopenia, her best friend Kodiak got adopted. However, her new owner returned her shortly after, as it was not working out.
Hannah was angry at first, but this meant the two fluffballs would be reunited! This time around, she was determined to get them adopted together.
Hank and Kodiak were destined to be together. The two brought out the best in each other, forming a special sisterly bond.
Luckily, a woman named Fawnia was more than willing to provide a loving home for both of them. Hannah was excited they would stay together, however, letting them go was a bittersweet moment filled with tears.
Thanks to Kitten Lady, Hank and Kodi live a happy life together, filled with lots of love and cuddles. Make sure to follow their lovely journey over on Instagram!
I’m so grateful Hannah decided to fight for Hank, proving to us that with a little love and a lot of determination, you can achieve anything!
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