When Nicole discovered three feral kittens had sought refuge on her property in Riverside, California, after being frightened by a dog, she rescued the trio of young felines on May 21, 2020.

“All the kittens were covered in fleas and dirt and had worms,” says Nicole, and she also noticed one of them was unable to use his hind legs. “I got them fed and cleaned up the best I could and then started to research rear leg paralysis.”

Upon closer examination, Nicole determined the paralyzed kitten’s hind limbs didn’t have any muscle mass, indicating he probably hadn’t been able to move his back legs in a very long time, if ever. Also, while he didn’t have any obvious signs of trauma, a visit to the vet revealed one of legs was crooked due to a fracture that had healed poorly, and he’d suffered a spinal injury. “We aren’t sure what caused it,” says Nicole. “It could have been caused by the dog that scared his litter or it could have been earlier.”

Initially, Nicole and her husband planned on fostering the kittens until they were eight weeks old, and then they would find homes for them or take them to a rescue. When their self-imposed deadline arrived, the couple had already found homes for the two able-bodied kittens, leaving the little ginger cat with hind leg paralysis.

“The thought of turning him over to a place that may euthanize him because of his legs terrified me,” remembers Nicole. “The more I learned about rear leg paralysis and the more I cared for him, I knew he belonged with me.”