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As reported by Love Meow, Sam - a grey kitten - and her siblings came to Mini Cat Town, an animal rescue in San Jose, as orphans. Sam was just four days old, young enough that she still had her umbilical cord attached and had to be cared for to survive. A director of Mini Cat Town, Laura Malone, took the kittens in and started feeing them and caring for them around the clock. The kittens had yet to even open their eyes at that point.
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"Sam had a favorite spot in the back corner of her nest where she fell asleep on her back," Laura said. A few weeks later, they noticed that something wasn't quite right with Sam. All of a sudden, she started to lose weight and her appetite dipped. "Kittens at this age are always fragile - things can change (good or bad) in the blink of an eye."
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Sam wasn't getting better - staying unwell and lacking energy. So, Laura's husband, now known as Foster Dad, came to offer help. "He loves nothing more than to comfort people and animals when they feel lousy. And he promised Sam he would cuddle her all the time until she felt better," Laura explained.
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Foster Dad stayed with Sam and kept a watchful eye all night. He placed Sam in a soft blanket, assured her that she was loved, and petted her until she fell asleep in his arms. "When she did eventually start to act more like herself, he very happily declared her to be fixed by him," Laura added.
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It took multiple trips to the vet, fluid therapy, and a change in her diet, but eventually, Sam regained energy and was finally getting better. She started eating properly and putting on weight. Adorably, she also became really attached to Foster Dad.
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When Sam came home after her treatment, she hopped onto Foster Dad's shoulders for cuddles, and Foster Dad, seemingly just as enamored with her as she was with him, spent ample time with her to cheer her on.
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Finally, Sam was healthy enough to rejoin her siblings and walk around the room like she owned the place. "She was active and playful and enjoyed lots of group time with the other kittens. Sam was the tiniest of the whole crew, but she had a ton of personality." Sam and her sister Jo bonded quickly, cuddling with one another during nap time and helping each other hone their feline skills.
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Very quickly, it became very clear that the two sisters could not be separated. "These sisters are goofballs, purr monsters, and they would love to live in a new home with lots and lots of pillows to play in!" And when it was finally time to be adopted, Sam and Jo found their perfect family. "It was love at first sight for us," the family shared on Instagram.
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"We lost our beloved grey and white cat, Bootsie. On the day she passed, I discovered Sam and Jo (now Bear and Bunny). They looked exactly like our beloved Bootsie, and after a lot of tears, we knew that day that we had to have these girls."
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Sam, now named Bear, has grown into an absolutely gorgeous cat, and she is no longer tiny. She and her sister - Bunny - have stayed best friends all this time. "According to their family, Bear is partial to male humans, which is pretty funny to me," Laura said.
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Sam and Jo (now Bear and Bunny) today.
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