Tiny Fighter Of A Kitten Changes Color Before Her Rescuer’s Eyes

"None of us have ever seen a kitten coat transformation like his!”

Damjan

• Published in Animals
• July 30, 2022

Emilie Rackovan first met Fievel when he was only 2 days old. The tiny kitten was the size of a mouse, snuggly fitting in the palm of her hand.

Born with a fever coat, the result of Fievel’s mom undergoing intense stress while pregnant, he was silver and scruffy, resembling what to Rackovan looked like a “baby werewolf.” Fievel was the only one of his siblings to survive after his mother, a feral cat, gave birth prematurely and didn’t care for her kittens.

Rackovan knew it would be an uphill battle for the silver baby to become a healthy cat, but she could tell he was a fighter. It was obvious.

“Premature kittens, in general, often do not make it, as the odds are stacked against them,” Rackovan says. “He really is a miracle.”

Because of his small size, Fievel was unable to use a bottle for the first week he lived with his foster mom. Each and every hour of every day, Rackovan fed him by hand.

Fortunately, she wouldn't have to take on all of his care for very long. She had help from a cat mom.

This tinny kitten had a lot of help, and now he is a healthy young cat, waiting to be adopted. Let's get to know him better:

Fievel was born with a fever coat because his mom was undergoing intense stress while pregnant

His foster mom fed him by hand every hour of every day.

“I was fostering a mom and babies just about Fievel's age for a different shelter and asked if I could try introducing Fievel to them,” Rackovan said. “I put Fievel with Persephone (the mom) and the babies, and she took to him immediately.”

Fievel loves spending time with his adoptive family

As soon as he got a taste of loving family life, Fievel rapidly began to grow—and change. The kitten's actual colors became visible as Fievel's fever coat began to sprout out.

His miraculous change occurred when he was around a month old. Rackovan expected that he would be gray and white, but she was wrong.

“Around four weeks, the roots started to turn a dark gray on his back and his legs became jet black. I still wasn't sure if he was going to be dark gray or black," his foster mom said.

“I noticed the white tips on his fur starting to come through at about three weeks, but that is relatively typical of a fever coat,” Rackovan said.

“Around four weeks, the roots started to turn a dark gray on his back and his legs became jet black. I still wasn't sure if he was going to be dark gray or black.”

“He has continued to get darker and darker,” she added. “I had absolutely no idea that he was going to be a tuxedo.

All of my friends who foster are equally as shocked and none of us have ever seen a kitten coat transformation like his!”

"None of us have ever seen a kitten coat transformation like his!”

Fievel has changed inside and out; the formerly shy orphan has now grown into a young cat with plenty of self-assurance.

Fievel is just the goofiest kitten ever!” Rackovan said. “He does the ‘scary cat,’ where he arches his back and hops toward you. He likes to think he's intimidating, so I play along!”

Fievel likes and gets along with all of Rackovan's foster pets and house pets, but he forms a special connection with the people he encounters.

After being neutered, Fievel will be placed for adoption. He will find his forever home, where he will continue to surprise and delight whoever is fortunate enough to have him.

Damjan