A woman who took in a 4-day-old kitten found in a cardboard box has discovered what it takes to care for a neonatal feline, and now she couldn’t be a more “proud cat mom.”
Madeline Johnson, 25, from Huntington Beach, California, discovered Levi on the evening of March 14. Her boyfriend called her from outside the house in a panic, saying that a kitten had been left in a cardboard box on his friend’s doorstep. As Johnson and her partner already have a cat, named Lucky, they offered to take in the abandoned kitten.
“We were all in shock, unsure of what to do—I had never seen a living creature so tiny before,” Johnson told Newsweek. “But as soon as I took the box and gently started petting him, he calmed down and I knew this was my moment.”
She decided that the cat distribution system had finally chosen her, and she saw it as a blessing.
It is unclear why the young feline was left on the friend’s doorstep, but Johnson hated the thought of Levi being outside in the cold and rain. If he hadn’t been found, she said he “never would have made it.”
@madelinejohnsonnnn / TikTok
Levi was immediately taken to an emergency vet because Johnson “had no idea” what to do. She was told to keep the kitten warm and get him plenty of formula to get him through the night.
There certainly wasn’t much expectation for Levi to survive much longer than that.
“He made it through the first night, and, honestly, that was the most successful I have ever felt. I knew those first few days are critical for a neonatal kitten. Later, we brought him to a regular vet, and they told us that, based on his development, he was probably about 4 to 5 days old when we found him,” Johnson said.
Levi’s eyes and ears were still closed, so the vet suggested to bring him back once those finally opened.
Thankfully, Johnson had the trusty help of her friends, family, and Google to teach her what she needed to know.
She bottle-fed Levi every two hours, stimulating his bladder and bowel, weighing him to monitor growth, and keeping him warm. There were times when Johnson “felt like a zombie” because she was running on such little sleep. Fortunately, she was able to rotate shifts with her boyfriend and mom to give Levi round-the-clock care.
Johnson continued: “The craziest part about raising a neonatal kitten is that you truly are their mom. For a couple of weeks, they don’t have sight, and, even longer, they don’t have hearing. So, they rely completely on you to provide safety and care.
“Through it all, he has been an absolute fighter. There have been many moments when I truly didn’t think he was going to make it, but he continues to be resilient and prove us wrong while purring and making biscuits,” Johnson said.
There have inevitably been challenges along the way, as Levi’s umbilical cord fell off later than usual; it became infected and started to herniate. He required antibiotics from an early age, which was risky and can cause permanent complications.
It was certainly a huge commitment to take on, but Johnson couldn’t be more proud of herself. She originally intended to foster Levi until he could be adopted, but now she says “this was meant to be.”
Johnson now is comfortable knowing that Levi has found his forever family.
He has even been given the nickname of Little Man, and Johnson loves seeing him grow and develop with every passing day. At the time of writing, he is 7 weeks old and is continuing to thrive.
Seeing Levi experience all his “firsts” has been a wonderful experience; from his first biscuits, his first purrs, and the first time he opened his eyes.
“All of it makes the late nights so worth it. I can’t believe someone left him in a box out in the cold, not knowing whether he would make it,” Johnson told Newsweek.
The Social Media Response
She has been documenting Levi’s journey on social media (@madelinejohnsonnnn on TikTok) since the day she found him. A video reflecting on many of his milestones has gone viral with over 623,000 views and more than 140,000 likes at the time of writing.
Levi’s story has created such a heartwarming community online, as Johnson is so grateful to all the TikTok users who offered her advice and support. Indeed, she said that, thanks to their words of wisdom, Levi is as strong and healthy as he is today.
Speaking about the social-media response, Johnson added: “I truly feel like I’ve been accepted into the foster mom and rescue kitten community. He went from being left in a cardboard box to having friends and family all around the world cheering him on, and in a way, I feel like we all raised Little Man together.”
It hasn’t been easy, and she spent many late nights searching Google for answers about what to do. But Johnson never wanted to give up on this tiny little kitten who landed in her care.
With over 640 comments on the viral TikTok video so far, internet users have praised Johnson for saving Levi’s life.
One comment reads: “He opened his eyes and you were his entire world.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “These tiny kittens always almost die. He’s lucky you found him.”
A third person added: “You can’t convince me that’s not your baby.”
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