Kitten Who Had Ears, Tail and Paw Amputated Melts Hearts: ‘What a Fighter’

An adorable rescued kitten who had her tail, ears and one paw amputated due to a rare illness is flourishing after being adopted by a Boston couple.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that 3.2 million cats enter shelters in the U.S. each year. While around 2.1 million of these felines will be adopted, the ASPCA estimates roughly 530,000 cats are euthanized each year.

These shelters are crying out for pet lovers to come forward and adopt an animal but it’s a cry that is too often ignored. Yet Mochi is living proof of why giving a second chance to a rescue animal is not only rewarding but can create memories that will last a lifetime – particularly with a disabled pet.

Mochi is only 8 months old but her short life has already been fraught with difficulty.

A breeder Munchkin kitten born in China before being shipped over to the U.S., by the time she arrived at MSPCA Angell shelter in Boston, Mochi’s ears had started to fall off and parts of her skin were drying.

It was subsequently determined that Mochi was suffering from ischemic dermatopathy, having reacted to something in her body. This led to widespread inflammation which affected her limbs and led to necrosis which is the irreversible death of body tissue.

Though the shelter’s team of specialists were able to save Mochi’s legs, she was left with no ears and no tail and one paw was removed. Even now, it’s not entirely clear what caused the life-threatening issue. Thankfully, however, Mochi made a full recovery and has flourished ever since.

After two months of recovery in the shelter’s care, Mochi was listed for adoption. That’s when her owner Greg McDouglas first laid eyes on her.

“My fiance saw the listing and we immediately fell in love and knew we could give her a wonderful home and life,” McDouglas told Newsweek. “We applied, and as we are a young adult couple with no kids or pets, we were selected!”

Mochi moved in with McDouglas and his partner back in January and has continued to go from strength to strength. Having been brought home weighing just 2.5 lbs, the tiny kitten has now grown to a healthy 4 lbs while, thanks to the love and care of her new owners, Mochi’s cute and funny personality has come to the fore.

“She is an adorable, goofy, fearless adventurer and we couldn’t be more in love with her,” McDouglas said. “She is so affectionate, an absolute purr machine, and zooms around with no issues on her three legs! She runs up and down the stairs, sprints around the house, and jumps up on our couch and bed with no issues.”

Describing their furry companion as “infectiously cute” McDouglas believes they are “truly lucky” to have Mochi in their lives.

“She is highly curious, loves her dangly toys, and enjoys head scratches and belly rubs,” he said. “Based on her happiness, goofiness, and energy, you would never know she’s down a few limbs and to be honest I don’t think she realizes it either!”

Eager to share in their joy at Mochi’s super-cute antics, McDouglas set up an Instagram account under the handle Mochi.Boston which is littered with heartwarming videos and pictures of the fearless feline.

However, it was one recent Reddit post introducing users to Mochi and her incredible story that proved particularly popular.

Writing under the handle romgm, he introduced users to their “goofy, sweet kitty with three legs, no ears, and no tail.” She was an immediate hit. “Who needs ears with such a cute face,” one Reddit user wrote with another commenting: “what a fighter.” A third, meanwhile, said: “She doesn’t need those extra bits to be sweet and lovable.”

While McDouglas is enjoying the Mochi love-in online, he hopes the picture and her story will inspire people to “take a chance on rescue pets or disabled animals.”

“These animals all deserve a happy and healthy life and adopting Mochi has been one of the most important, fulfilling, and best decisions we have made in our lives,” he said. “These rescue organizations really do incredible work and there’s already so many loving, caring animals who deserve a home and a happy life. I truly encourage anyone thinking about a pet to open their hearts and homes to rescue pets and disabled animals!”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.