Kitten That Ate Dirt To Stay Alive Was Told She Wouldn’t Make It, But Look At Her Now

One night in rural Idaho, Annalise Burke and her mom spotted a stray cat in their yard. The next morning, they went out to investigate only to find two tiny kittens.

Sadly one hadn’t survived the night, and the other was barely clinging to life.

Knowing they had to act fast, they took the weak kitten inside. Hours later, they managed to catch the mama cat and rushed both cats to the humane society.

Just as they returned home, they heard a faint sound coming from their yard. That’s when they saw a tiny kitten underneath the shed, covered in dirt and barely moving.

Annalise shared in an interview:

“She had been alone under the shed for at least eight hours. We dug to get her out.”

When they finally scooped her up, their hearts sank. Her tiny face was covered in dirt, and her mouth was full of dust.

She struggled to breathe, coughing, wheezing, and shaking from exhaustion. They quickly brought her inside and gently cleaned her up, naming her Gemma.

But what they discovered next was even more heartbreaking.

In her desperate fight to survive, Gemma had been eating rocks and dirt, trying to fill the empty space in her tiny stomach. It had only made her condition worse.

Every breath she took was a struggle, and her tiny body was so weak that she could barely hold her head up.

The shelter and vets were already closed for the night, so Annalise and her mom had no choice but to care for her themselves.

They stayed up all night, feeding her and keeping her warm, terrified she might not make it until morning.

When the morning finally came, they rushed Gemma to the vet. But the news wasn’t good.

Gemma had little chance of survival and the vet asked if they wanted to put her down peacefully.

It was a crushing moment, especially since they had just learned that the kitten they had taken to the humane society hadn’t made it.

It felt like Gemma was slipping through their fingers, too.

But Annalise refused to give up. She looked at the tiny kitten, so small, so helpless, yet still fighting.

If Gemma hadn’t given up, then neither would she. She decided to do whatever it took to save her.

She quit her summer job, dedicating herself completely to Gemma’s care. Every few hours, she fed her, comforted her, and made sure she was breathing.

There were moments when Gemma would stop moving, and Annalise would panic, thinking she had lost her. But somehow, against all odds, the kitten pulled through.

By the time Gemma was a month old, she had blossomed. No longer weak and fragile, she was full of energy, just like a normal kitten.

Now, at six weeks old, she was getting the hang of eating wet food, though she was still figuring out how to drink water.

It was kind of funny, she would often dunk her whole face in the water bowl and then spend a few moments licking the droplets off her fur.

But more than anything, Gemma loved cuddling with Annalise. To her, Annalise wasn’t just a rescuer; she was the reason she had a second chance at life.

Looking at her now, Annalise knows it was all worth it, sharing:

“Gemma truly had an extreme will to live, after everything. It was worth putting my life on hold for her. She is truly an angel.”

No matter how much Annalise gave up, she has gained something much greater!