We always hear about rooting for the underdog, but what about the underkitten? The runt of the litter may be a hot mess, but we root for them even more because of it. We cheer for them as they make it against the odds. Here’s the story of an underkitten that inspired everyone rooting for her in a Southern California rescue. Cinder was one tough cookie, but she reminded us of ourselves before our morning coffee. In the end, you won’t believe her glow-up  transformation!

Cinder was One Hot Mess

A litter of emaciated, sickly kittens arrived at a southern California foster home with no time to spare. There were three white girls and two tabby boys. But of all of them, Cinder was in the roughest shape. At three-and-a-half weeks old, she was 124 grams when she should have been more like 283 grams. She was the size of a newborn!

Images and media via Instagram/kimmiskitties

Cinder was extremely bony and dehydrated, and all the kittens had serious tummy issues. Incredibly, all aside from Cinder remained playful in the incubator anyway. She was too weak to play, but with medication and fluids, she wanted cuddles.

Despite being so sick, she started gradually feeling better. But it was hard to tell from appearances.

As underweight as she was, Cinder was tough and her foster mom, Kimmi, had a feeling she would make it.

Video via Instagram/kimmiskitties

Cinder Was a Mood

Sure enough, this little one was a fighter. One day, she started purring happily. With her batteries fully recharged, she finally started having enough energy to wrestle with her littermates. But she still looked like a mood we can all relate to.

“Look who I heard purr for the first time!”

A picture of Cinder looking like she had just woken up from a long night and needed her morning coffee. For that, she became everyone’s hero. She appeared on a hilarious T-shirt with the words, “No coffee, no talkie,” and “Bad bitch.”

Image via Instagram/kimmiskitties

“She looks sus in this pic.,” Kimmi’s Kitties shared. 

Cinder continued improving little by little and started weaning to a kitten food/formula slurry mix from a syringe. She sure had a great appetite. Yet she always managed to get completely covered in sticky goo between her daily ‘booty baths.’

“Bath time for Cinder after eating. I’ll need to get another picture when she is all dry and fluffy, this isn’t her most flattering look. ”

The Glow-Up of the Century

Flash forward a couple of months later, and Cinder had a glow-up nobody could have imagined! She was a purrfect young lady at a healthy 2 pounds, ready to begin a happy life. The rescue Love Your Feral Felines would help her and her siblings find loving homes. Against all odds, they all made it!

As you can see below, the Before and After shots are shocking!

“Cinder glow up from when I first got her to now. ️ She just reached 2 pounds! I think she must be one of the most emaciated kittens I have taken on, and I’ve thought a few were bad in the past,” shared Kimmi’s Kitties.

As beautiful as Cinder and her sisters became, they may still be seeking homes in California at the time of this writing. Her sister Jacqueline is an equally beautiful meowdel. Why not adopt them both?

“Cinder is the sweetest baby girl. She is sweet and loves to cuddle. She loves suckling on soft fuzzy blankies and is an absolute baby. She gets along great with other kitties,” her adoption profile states.

You can find out more at Love Your Feral Felines on Facebook and Instagram. You can also follow and support Kimmi at KimmisKitties on Instagram and Facebook.

An ameowzing glow-up

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