Bing Bong, the tiny black kitten, arrived at a San Diego rescue looking like a cross between a bear cub and an alien. The kitten’s noggin’ was noticeably oversized, with big almond-shaped alien eyes and “white whispies” covering his pear-shaped body.
Images via Instagram/kittenrescuelife
In comparison, his brother Bippo was less of a fluffy extraterrestrial and more black bear cub in appearance.
“Are we sure he’s not actually a baby black bear cub? Honestly, I couldn’t tell ya.. but I’m not fully convinced he’s a kitten!” shared rescuer Amanda, founder of Kitten Rescue Life.
Bippo the rescued kitten looks like a bear cub.
Bing Bong and Bippo
At first glance, the cute brothers looked alike, but those big alien eyes gave away the difference.
“To tell the difference between them you just have to look in the eyes! It’s all in the eyes. Bing Bong has some large almond-shaped alien eyes, and Bippo has a more slender face with smaller eyes.”
Siblings Binkle and Blumbo
These cuties arrived with two adorable siblings, both with white markings. Binkle, the only girl, had “major princess energy,” while Blumbo was a sweet but “smol little bean.”
“From the star on her nose to her ladylike pose, she steals the spotlight and the heart of everyone who meets her. 💫✨”
Binkle
“[Blumbo is] a smol little bean and he’s as sweet as he is cute! He was the first of the four to jump out of his kitten bed and greet me for pets and purrs. 💗”
Bing Bong’s Alien Noggin’
Right away, many people noticed Bing Bong’s unusually alien noggin’. Experienced rescuers know this is sometimes a sign of hydrocephalus that can require specialized care. For example, we’ve previously shared the story of the adorable Otter, a kitten with serious hydrocephalus who wore a helmet and underwent groundbreaking brain surgery successfully.
Did Bing Bong owe his cute alien appearance to hydrocephalus? Vets needed to be sure and did an ultrasound, CT scan, and other specialized tests to be sure. Wonderfully, kind people donated to cover the high costs of testing.
“He is currently stable, meeting milestones, and eats normally. But he does have that mild dome shape at the top of the skull, which is typical with hydrocephalus. He’s also been head pressing today, which can also be a sign of pressure,” Amanda explained.
Early picture of Bing Bong when he first arrived.
Everyone awaited updates as Bing Bong underwent testing, hoping for the best.
Diagnosis: Bing Bong is Adorably Different
After waiting on pins and needles, Amanda shared that the vets concluded Bing Bong wasn’t presenting as a typical “hydro kitten.” He was just a little adorably different; no further treatment was needed for his mild case unless there was a change in his health. It was the best news!
“Bing has been doing so well since our last update! He’s growing, eats ferociously, and is ahead of his siblings milestone wise. He loves to purr, play, and steal everyone’s heart.”
As kittens do, Bing Bong and his cutie siblings grew up in a flash. He continued to do great, reaching typical milestones while remaining a cute oddball.
“This photo of Bing Bong and our volunteer Lisa just made my day! 😝 Bing is doing amazing.”
By now, Bing Bong’s eyes were changing colors to green, as if to go with the extraterrestrial theme.
“Greetings from Bing Bong 👽🖖”
Bing Bong and Blumbo Fly Home
After many hours of wondering if Bing would be alright, the future was bright! He and his brother Blumbo found their furever home together.
Blumbo with his mom
“Seeing Bing head off to his forever home makes me so happy. For a while there we weren’t sure which direction he was headed. To watch kittens go from fragile and vulnerable to healthy and thriving is just the best feeling ever.”
Bing Bong with his new mom
Happy Trails for Binkle and Bippo
Happily, Binkle and Bippo went home together too! A purrfect ending for all, thanks to the rescuers, their supporters, and loving adopters.
You can follow support Kitten Rescue Life on Instagram and Facebook.
Binkle and Bippo go home together
