Below is a story that was presented to attendees at Toto's Gala: The Dreams that We Dare to Dream at Monona Terrace on March 14, 2025:
Last August, dozens of suffering cats from a single overcrowded home were brought to DCHS by Animal Service Officers. While DCHS is a private nonprofit, independent of any government agencies or animal welfare groups, we do hold the contract to serve as the county stray hold facility, and must be available at a moment’s notice for urgent situations like these. Among the cats were tiny kittens Arthur, Elizabeth, Charles, and Charlot.
When our veterinarians first examined them, their condition broke our hearts. Elizabeth’s eyes were sealed shut with dried discharge, making us wonder if she even had eyes beneath.
But as the vet first applied a wet compress, then gently wiped the debris away, slowly Elizabeth’s eyelids opened to show two watery eyes squinting back. Little Arthur had discharge around his eyes too. Both were also suffering from upper respiratory infections.
Arthur and Elizabeth each weighed what we’d expect for a kitten about 3 weeks old, but after examining them, we were surprised that these two little kittens were closer to 6 to 8 weeks old.
While Arthur and Elizabeth were very tiny, Charles and Charlot were even smaller. Their eyes weren’t open yet, but their ears were up, which would have put them around 2 weeks old. But Charles’ weight was just 5 ounces, and Charlot was even tinier at less than 4 ounces. They too were suffering from upper respiratory infections.
Neonatal kittens are fragile; even minor illnesses can be deadly.
We knew we needed to act fast and get these kittens the nearly round-the-clock care they needed. We turned to one of our most experienced neonate foster parents, Josie Cooper, who has dedicated nearly a decade to nurturing over 100 vulnerable kittens.
Over the course of several weeks, Josie woke up in the middle of the night to mix kitten formula bottles, clean the kitties' faces and bottoms, and closely monitor every ounce they gained or lost. Arthur, Elizabeth, and Charles were steadily gaining weight and improving. But Charlot, the tiniest of all, struggled to stay warm and gain weight. He was weaker than his siblings, too exhausted to play, too tired to eat without falling asleep. We feared he wouldn’t make it.
But Josie never gave up on him. And then, one day, Charlot had finally turned a corner and started growing and playing!
Not only were the kittens growing healthy and strong, they were developing personalities. Arthur LOVED to be cuddled and held. Josie called his purrs legendary because you could hear him from across the room.
Elizabeth was a sweetheart who had a little mischievous side. She loved to explore any new toy or box. She was the leader of the pack who played hard and cuddled harder, especially for the prime spot on the lap of a human.
Since Arthur and Elizabeth were older, they were ready to find their new families first. They were adopted immediately after they were made available in September.
After the bigger kittens left Josie’s home, the little boys blossomed in personality. This time, Charles tended to take charge, leading his brother into new trouble, like sneaking into cupboards or shutting themselves in closets. But Charles was always full of purrs, kisses, and head bumps when rescued from his adventures.
After surviving his neonatal days, Charlot seemed to prefer more death-defying acts, like charging off the edge of beds, running into dressers, and tipping himself over in boxes. He was so happy all the time and had a big, loud purr to match.
The brothers became available for adoption in October, and it’s no surprise that they immediately found new families to love.
These kittens came to DCHS too small and young to understand what dreams could hold in store for their future. But thanks to a nurturing and loving foster who dared to dream for them, the four are thriving in their new homes.
