When Nikki (one of our amazing supporters and a Kitten Foster Mom specializing in caring for neonatal & critical care kitties with an amazing Instagram following) got the call to rescue a kitten, she had no idea what she was walking in on. An innocent baby was found in a driveway, her placenta still attached. Her siblings had not survived and the mama was nowhere in sight.
The little kitten was then rushed to Hearts Alive Village and we arranged medical care.
Neonatal kittens are hard to care for, and despite having to head up to Colorado for her husband’s cancer surgery, Nikki decided to foster the baby. She named her Rocky in honor of their trip and bottle-fed the kitten for weeks.
Krista had been following Nikki on Instagram for years. A neonatal ICU nurse (for humans) she loved seeing the kitten side of things. She watched from California as Rocky grew stronger, telling herself that kittens need to be adopted in pairs and she couldn’t handle two cats.
When she heard that Rocky wasn’t a fan of other cats, she put in an application. But Rocky was already adopted.
Two days later… the placement hadn’t worked out.
A few days later, Krista and Nikki met in Barstow. Rocky had found her new mom.
She’s now spoiled rotten. Every time Krista goes to the store, the kitten gets a new toy.
Rocky is slowly turning into a lap kitty. She loves to snuggle and likes to nurse on her mom’s face while she’s sleeping.
“It’s been a great experience having her. It’s amazing to walk in the house in the morning and have her run to me and want snuggles. She’s got my heart.” – Krista
This Giving Tuesday, you can help us provide the care that these pets need to have a happy life. Thanks to a generous match from one of our donors, Howard Ash, there has never been a better time to give. All gifts up to $10,000 will be matched, but our goal is to raise $50,000.
Every animal deserves a second chance at a happy story. Hearts Alive Village has already saved more than 4,250 animals and with your help, we can save so many more.
Learn more about how your generous gift on Giving Tuesday means so much to the people and pets of our communities.
Melody was brought to Hearts Alive Village by an independent rescuer who pulled her from a San Bernardino Shelter. Melody had been confiscated from a dogfighting ring in California. Used as a breeder dog, she’d had countless litters of puppies. […]
Tyson had a rough start to life. Confiscated from his first home by the police, he was brought to the local Humane Society. At approximately 7-years-old and 28 lbs., Tyson was a lot to handle. Because of his hissy temperament, the Humane Society used him to test […]
On the transfer-only list at the local shelter, little Leia was in full heart failure at just 6 weeks old. Hearts Alive Village pulled this pup and got her over to Legacy Animal Hospital where she was diagnosed with Pulmonic Stenosis. […]
Dumped in the night drop at the shelter, staff found Gemma first thing in the morning. The vet’s exam determined her back legs were paralyzed. With so many “perfectly healthy” animals waiting for homes, she wasn’t going to make it to adoptions. […]
In October, Hearts Alive responded to an emergency at Mojave Animal Shelter in Kingman. The local “cat lady” had been murdered. Dozens of cats were brought to the shelter. When Nikki arrived, she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of animals in need […]
Athens was abandoned as a little pup. For years, he sat at Little Friends Shelter watching all of the other dogs go home to new families. A super active boy, Athens didn’t get along with other animals, which made finding him a home all the more difficult. […]
When Nikki went to the shelter to pick up a kitten off the transfer-only list, they asked if she’d take 4 more kittens with eye issues ranging from infection to blindness. She couldn’t say no. Arriving home with the babies, she noticed the wideset eyes and overbites. […]
