Tiny Kitten Injured After Being Squeezed By Toddler In Texas
It seemed like an ordinary day, but for one tiny, fragile kitten, it would mark the beginning of a fight for her life. Her story is one of resilience, recovery, and the hope for a brighter future.
This little kitten, later named Pookie, suffered a tragic accident when a toddler squeezed her. Her rescuers vividly recall the moment they first took her in, as said in their interview:
“I didn’t think she would survive the night. She was really lethargic. She couldn’t open her eyes. She couldn’t lift her head.”
The incident left Pookie with a traumatic brain injury after the squeeze temporarily cut off her oxygen supply. Her rescuer explained:
“She wasn’t technically their cat. It was just a stray cat that had kittens under their house.”
After speaking briefly with the toddler’s mother, who initially thought the kitten had stopped breathing, they acted quickly. CPR was performed, and the vet was contacted, suspecting a possible back injury.
On top of everything, the kitten’s mouth was hurt when the child tried to force it open, leaving her with jaw pain. As her rescuer said:
“So, as far as like, how long she was without oxygen, if her heart ever really did stop. Everything the son did to her, we’ll never know.”
Naming her Pookie, they rushed her to the vet, but the outlook was grim.
“I didn’t think that Pookie really had a chance. We had a tube feeder, she stayed on oxygen. She didn’t move, she just laid there. And she had an oxygen mask over her face.”
For the first three or four days, her eyes stayed shut. Then, slowly, she began to open them. Her rescuer noted:
“It’s usually about 24 hours as you watch to see if the brain is going to swell and those kind of effects.”
Not long after, she began experiencing small seizures, her eyes and face twitching on and off for about a week. Yet, Pookie’s determination shone through, and the seizures eventually stopped.
“Pookie started coming around and defeating the odds, really. I mean, she’s a little miracle in my book.”
At first, she couldn’t walk, and when she tried, it was backward. Then, one day, she suddenly managed to move forward, lifting her legs with a new sense of purpose.
“Every day, she would just make improvements where we knew that she was a fighter.”
The real turning point came when she began eating from her plate. For her rescuers, it was the sign they had been hoping for — proof she could overcome whatever lay ahead.
Pookie’s journey serves as an important reminder for parents. Even with the best intentions, accidents can happen in an instant, and children may not understand the harm they can cause to small animals. Toddlers and fragile pets often don’t mix well without supervision.
Her rescuers made it clear:
“She’s doing really great. She has her ups and downs, and we deal with those on a daily basis. She’s still a happy cat. She has a good quality of life. We would never make her go through life with a horrible quality of life.”
Pookie may be different in her own way, but she is loved deeply by her family, who treasure every day with her. Her remarkable recovery shows that even in the darkest moments, hope can shine through, and compassion can transform lives.
If you want to watch Pookie’s story, make sure to watch the video down below!
