The deadline for three, 2-week-old kittens was about to expire.
With only a little over an hour remaining on the clock, the brothers needed a miracle.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
Sadly, at many local humane societies, bottle babies are euthanized at the end of the day if no one steps forward to take them.
Neonates this young require feedings every 3 hours and continuous monitoring. At the shelter, they do not have the resources to devote to these fragile lives.
The clock seemed to tick faster and faster towards the 5pm cut off time.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
Happily for these brothers, there were willing rescuers near them in Southern California.
Amanda Hodder, manager of Love Your Feral Felines and Kitten Rescue Life groups was quick to rush to their aid.
She heard of their plight at 3:40pm and didn’t give it a second thought.
There were actually 5 babies found that needed care. Another loving caregiver took 2 of them and Amanda took the other 3.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
She already had 4 other bottle babies at home, making this 7 that she’d be helping survive! <3
Before you get mad, bottle feeding babies is a HUGE task and many groups are split to ensure they are properly taken care of.
Just keeping track of their dosages of required medications is quite the undertaking.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
If there are any in the groups that are showing a bond, I’m sure they are kept together, no worries!
So the baby brothers, Cheeto, Dorito and Frito, were off to live the “Kitten Rescue Life”.
Their eyes had just opened and their tiny ears were still folded forward.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
There was no news or information on where they’d come from or a mother cat anywhere.
It’s heartbreaking to think what may have happened to them. More so, it’s happening all over the world…every day.
These 3 just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Look at these little faces and admit you don’t want to do everything possible in the world for them!?
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
Fortunately, with Amanda’s experience, the boys made it through the touch-and-go first months of life without issues.
We’re so very grateful that Amanda is sure to capture their personalities emerging on camera!
It didn’t take long for adopters to express interest in the kittens.
In an even more wonderful turn of events, Dorito was the first to be pre-adopted on October, 4th.
This means that even before he was fixed and old enough to be adopted, he’d found his furever family.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife ~ Dorito
If you know anything of black cats, it’s that they prove to be quite difficult to adopt out. Outdated stigmas and ridiculous, false beliefs of them are thankfully being reversed.
Dorito was off to an amazing new life.
A friend of Amanda’s actually drove all the way from Northern Arizona to adopt him!
Photos: @KittenRescueLife & @bella_thesillypitty
Mom Kia and dad, Garrett, have another cat, Mochi, and a sweet pit bull named Bella.
Dorito was renamed Sirius and happily joined the adventurous family.
“Sirius loves his sisters and will groom them both. He also still gives us kisses all the time and lots of head boops. Especially first thing when I wake up I am greeted by kisses and head bumps (too bad he doesn’t know the difference between work week and weekend ?). “
Photos: @bella_thesillypitty
“He still sleeps with me or Garrett every night, going between us. He loves people and very inviting when someone new comes into our home or people see us out on the trails. “
“When we go out adventuring he loves to find the fallen trees to play on. He also loves car rides to our local coffee shop to partake in a pupichino. He also loves to hop and pounce when he gets excited and loves to chase his own tail or his sister’s tail (usually Bella’s).”
Photo: @bella_thesillypitty
“He’s an amazing little boy and we are beyond thankful for him. He was made for our family and he brightens our day.”
You can follow her pups account @bella_thesillypitty to see updates on Sirius as he settles into his new life as a Arizona adventurer!
A few weeks went by and ginger Cheeto was scooped up by a loving family mid-November.
His new family renamed him Simba and say he’s the sweetest boy.
Photos: @KittenRescueLife
He covers all required kitten areas of expurrtise…cuddling one second to being playful the next!
Simba loves sleeping in their daughters room and being near his humans.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
He seems to be a bit of an adorable daddy’s boy.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
The brave kitten has even been welcomed by the family dog pack!
Photos: @KittenRescueLife
While Dorito and Cheeto were off to new, furbulous lives, their brother is still waiting for his.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
Frito’s not alone in his wonderful foster home though.
He’s become very close with another kitten waiting for her furever home.
Beans is a 6-month-old female who has taken Frito under her paw.
Photos: @KittenRescueLife ~ Frito and Beans
She was there to greet the brothers when they arrived, fulfilling that feline mother role they needed.
Maybe because it’s like looking in the cutest mirror ever!?
Amanda is hoping that the 2 best friends will find a new home together.
It’s like what you bring to a party…chips and dip! What could be better than Frito’s and Bean (dip)?! Maybe? HAHA
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
These 2 cuties would certainly be my favorite new friends at a gathering.
Beans’s life had a similar start.
She was in the shelter, on the list to be euthanized if she wasn’t adopted. She was a bit older so luckily didn’t have the short deadline.
But poor Beans was super skittish, likely a feral or stray picked up off the streets.
For the first 4-6 weeks she was in Amanda’s care, she would run away from her constantly.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
Perhaps she sensed Amanda’s determination not to give up on her and finally let her guard down.
Beans slowly began to blossom in foster care. Sadly, she’s been in foster care for months now.
“She just doesn’t show very well at the adoption events so she tends to get overlooked.”
“The sounds and smells are very overwhelming at these events. At home she’s a cuddle bug and purrs like a monster truck!”
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
Likely due to being separated from her mother too young, Beans has developed a habit.
It’s actually super adorable. She likes to suckle on her own tail like’s it’s her security blanket or pacifier.
Even cuter?! Frito has picked up her suckling habit, not uncommon for bottle-babies.
Instead of his tail however, he suckles her ear while Beans suckles her tail!
While Amanda shares her heart and home with these deserving kittens, her only wish for the holidays is they find a home. Ideally together.
She would absolutely love to keep all the kittens, but she knows the goal of fostering is to say goodbye.
It is the only way she can do her life-saving work and accept the next needy kittens into her home.
Photo: @KittenRescueLife
If you are interested in Frito, Beans or both, please reach out to Amanda at Kittenrescuelife@gmail.com.
Should you want to show your appreciation, Amanda has an ongoing Amazon Wishlist. This has all the necessities to care for foster kittens that you can purrchase.
My hopes are that I’ll get a loving update soon with adoption photos of the 2 black-and-white beauties!!!
For those wondering, the other two kittens were named Merlin and Mabel and they’ve both been adopted!
Photo: @KittenRescueLife ~ Merlin and Mable
REMEMBER: ADOPT, DON’T SHOP; FOSTERING SAVES LIVES & SPAY AND NEUTER!
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So adorable. I want them but I have a full house.