She was lovingly named Cuddle Buddy (CB for short). The shelter began to look for a foster volunteer who could provide the round-the-clock attention that the kitten required.

Erica Whitsell, a vet tech, stepped up to help. The first night with the kitten was long and exhausting as CB refused to eat from a bottle.

The kitten needed to be tube-fed every few hours and was given an enema to help ease her distended belly. The little palm-sized wonder hung in there with all her might while Erica tended to her every whim. After a sleepless night of caring for the youngling, Erica was relieved to find that CB perked up the next day.

The kitten figured out how to latch onto the bottle and turned into a milk-drinking machine. “She loves being held and is an absolute dream,” Erica shared. With CB’s newfound strength, she started to use her legs more, honing her walk and coordination.

Her appetite grew along with her size, her meows becoming louder and more insistent with each passing day. If the bottle wasn’t served in her mouth fast enough, she’d give Erica a gentle nip on the hand. Over the next two weeks, CB mastered the art of the litter box and started learning to eat solid food, graduating from her trusty bottle.

Erica’s resident cats, Forest and Phoebe, came to offer a helping paw, cleaning food residue off her face and letting the kitten nap in their arms. Almost every time Erica arrived home, she heard screaming welcomes from the tiny kitten, a cacophony of purrs and meows. “She’s been running toward whoever will show her some love.”

When Erica was moving, CB was placed into the care of a new foster family through Paws (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society). She immediately made herself at home, nestling in a blanket fort guarded by her very own snuggle plushie. Her new foster mom woke up the next day to CB’s sweet morning greetings.

Her eyes were pools of wonder, gazing at her human with curiosity and innocence. “She is a sweet, playful kitten that is always happy to see you. She loves to play and curl up in your lap,” CB’s foster mom shared.

“She’s the first to greet me when I walk in the door and the first to climb up in my lap. As much as she loves to play, she loves to cuddle up with her humans.”

CB is about three months old now and ready to find a place of her own.

She spends her day playing with other kitties in the house, supervising her foster mom, and eating to her heart’s content. “She is a small girl with huge eyes and permanent eyeliner. She will do anything for treats and wet food.”

CB continues to greet her people every day with a gentle rub against their legs and a soothing purr – the warmest welcome one could ask for.