The volunteers quickly noticed that this kitten was very different in the litter.
When this little girl named Frances arrived at the shelter with her mother and other little ones, the volunteers quickly noticed that he was very different from his siblings.
The rest of the babies weighed at least 280 grams, which is normal weight, and Francis weighed only 113 grams, which is half that.
The volunteers didn’t know why he was so small. After spending a few days at the shelter, his siblings put on weight, but this kitten hasn’t changed much.
Then Ellen Carozza, the owner of the NOVA Cat clinic, drew attention to the baby. She took the kitten to a foster family and found that her hair was falling out badly.
Ellen suspected that the baby had hypothyroidism. The cause of this disease is a long-term deficiency of thyroid hormones.
It’s also a very rare disease in cats, Ellen says.
Despite his illness, Francis is a very cheerful kitten, often purring when Ellen picks him up, and his muzzle is given a lush “moustache” to give him expression.
He always tries to lick them and keep them warm, and Frances was no exception.
Francis is now very slowly gaining strength, but with Ellen’s care, he has every chance of surviving.
