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As reported by Love Meow, Penny Richards, a foster carer based in Virginia, was contacted about two 4-week-old kittens who were found on the side of the road. One of those kittens had a congenital defect and was in critical condition, while the other one - his sister - clung to him the whole entire time. "She was attached to her brother's side from the moment they were found, as if she knew he was suffering and needed comfort," Penny said.
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Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the brother was unable to pull through, and the little sister became a singleton that night. "I named her Koa after she lost her brother, as it means warrior, or brave one, in Hawaiian," Penny added.
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For a few weeks after the brother's passing, Koa stayed as close to her foster family as she could, demanding attention nonstop. "She was very energetic and friendly, and a medical exam showed she was healthy. She became very attached to us and people in general," Penny shared. "Once we put her into the foster room with the bigger kids, she showed her feisty side and very quickly became the boss of the room - despite her small size."
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She was completely unafraid, walking up to older, much bigger cats and showing them who's boss. Huey the orange kitten was twice Koa's size, but that didn't stop her. Even when they wrestled, she held her own. Generally, Koa was the kind of kitty who, more than anything, enjoyed walking around and causing havoc. But, she never strayed too far from her foster mom's lap.
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"Even when she was playing she was all over my legs, pulling herself up and down my leg with those little daggers. She would run off to chase someone, then come running back and climb on my lap." It was clear to everyone that Koa wanted a companion - someone who she could be with always. And, being a good foster, mom, Penny started looking for a buddy her size.
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"Around three weeks after we took in Koa, my husband was working at a construction site when he and his coworkers heard meowing," Penny said. It took a whole investigation, but eventually, they managed to find a kitten hiding under a dumpster. They attempted to coax him out, but the kitten stayed out of reach and eventually even retreated further away.
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"My husband and his coworkers took apart the drain, climbed inside, and were able to grab the kitten. They put him safely in a box and my husband drove him to me at work so that I could care for him and take him home." The kitten, now named Casper, was about 6 weeks old and very weary of people, but under that fearful exterior - as they later found out - lay a kitten who wanted nothing more than love.
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"He was a very shy little boy, who would run and hide when we went in the room. Eventually, he would learn to love humans and become a super cuddly boy." After resolving his upper respiratory issues, Casper was placed in a foster room, and that's where he crossed paths with Koa for the first time.
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"He and Koa were about a week apart in age. The two of them formed an immediate friendship. That friendship grew over the following weeks and they became inseparable," Penny shared. "It warmed my heart to see her find comfort in a new foster brother, after losing her biological brother."
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When they two of them were finally ready to be adopted, Penny knew that they had to stay together. "They were adopted together at four months old, and now live happily ever after together!" Penny said, adding: "Koa lost one brother, but she gained another in Casper."
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