A tiny kitten, Lilibet, arrived at the rescue where a famous cat, Wolfie, came years before her. Since he was a kitten, Wolfie’s special toothy smile made him a social media star. Now, it was time for rescuer Jacqueline to save a ” blue-eyed cutie,” this time facing the loss of a limb.
In mid-August, Lilibet arrived looking bedraggled, a piece of plastic tarp caught around her front right leg. Fortunately, a good samaritan found her tangled in the trap, hanging precariously.
“Lilibet was found tangled up in a tarp and hanging precariously by her arm! As she was dangling and crying for help, this tiny kitten had no idea how long it would take for someone to discover her, if anyone ever did that is…” states Lilibet’s fundraiser page.
Images via Instagram/Wolfie_Smiles and Instagram/fflrescuenetwork/
After cutting Lilibet free, they brought her to the rescuers.
“Upon closer inspection, rescuers found that Lilibet still had a piece of the tarp embedded in her itty bitty arm upon arrival!!”
Along with the run-in with a tarp, Lilibet had a meet-up with fleas and was malnourished.
Rescuers Rush Lilibet to the Vet
Immediately, Lilibet received veterinary care, requiring antibiotics, fluids, flea treatment, and pain medication. Then, they waited to see if the swelling would go down in her leg. By the next day, her leg remained swollen, and the veterinarian scheduled an expensive surgery. As she waited, she didn’t appear to be in pain. As you can see, the Seal-Point Tabby was incredibly beautiful, with light blue eyes and seal-point-like fur.
Lilibet Undergoes Surgery for Amputation
As you can see in the video below, Lilibet appeared to be comfortable and even playful. However, the tarp had managed to wrap itself so tightly that it left her limb dead and lifeless. Alarmingly it was starting to turn black, becoming necrotic. You’d never know it to see how she responded to some affection from Jacqueline.
Lilibet Pulls Through
At such a young age, any surgery is risky, but Lilibet pulled through. Certainly, the care her rescuers provided her helped her survive, and she began recovering from the amputation. Fortunately, some of Wolfie’s fans helped foot the bill for the costly veterinary procedure.
“Hi guys! Lilibet is out of surgery! 2nd photo she was purring on my lap while I removed the IV bandage ❤️ she had her arm amputated up to the shoulder. She’s in recovery and resting right now with a heating pad.”
Now, Lilibet would begin adjusting to life without her front leg. Best of all, she is in highly experienced hands, as Jacqueline and the rescuers are familiar with rehabilitating kittens and puppies with a wide range of leg issues.
Below, you can see Lilibet is playful post-surgery. What a big relief!
“This little girl is doing FANTASTIC post-amputation, we are so excited to see her grow into her personality more and more.”
Lilibet Springs Back
By mid-September, Lilibet was adjusting fast to life with three legs. Remarkably, the kitten sprang back fast –including literally.
“After some adjustments getting use to walking on 3 legs, she’s now unstoppable!”
In an update video, you can see that Lilibet manages to jump over the wall of her cute playpen without a problem!
Comments from Social Media
In the comments, people praised Lilibet and her rapid recovery:
“She just pops up right outta her corral! Three legs? What? Nothing will stop this little one. So feisty!❤️” wrote one person.
“A little furry angel and fearless did I also mentioned: gorgeous. The resilience is inspiring much love to you and your furry babies,” wrote another person.
Soon, Lilibet will be ready for a forever home in Southern California. First, the Friends for Life Network paired her with a buddy named Elsie. Then, the duo will find a new home together.
To help Jacqueline and the Wolfie Pack save kittens like Lilibet, follow them on Instagram. Also, you can support the Friends For Life Rescue Network and follow their efforts on Instagram.
Wonderful Wolfie
Below, you can see Wolfie and his slightly menacing, funny Wolfie grin.
In 2018, Jacqueline rescued Wolfie, a domestic medium-haired kitty with an endearing overbite, from the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. From that moment, she knew it was “time to take over Instagram” because Wolfie’s “teefers” and slanted eyes are hilarious, like a tiny werewolf. And, certainly, we know a thing or two about unique kitty faces *cough* Marmalade.
After The Dodo featured Wolfie in a wonderful video, his Insta-reign grew, and today, the “Wolfie Pack” has over 377K followers. Now, he’s helping other rescued kittens have a happy life.
See the video about Wolfie from The Dodo below:
