This is the story of Maelle.
We crossed paths with her for a tragically brief time, but she was the most cuddly, loving and perfect little kitten.

Me and my partner have been talking about adopting for at least 3 years, but couldn’t because of our living situation (renting, roommates). When we finally got the green light, we were beyond excited as we have been making plans and doing research for a long time; even had a name picked out since last winter.

We gathered all the supplies we needed and had been browsing adoption chats for some days when we stumbled across her. She had just been picked off the street a few hours prior, in late September, and we set up a meeting to see her. As it happened, it was just a 30 minute walk from our home, and when we saw her we fell in love instantly. She looked tinier than we expected, but our mind was made up.

During the first night she threw up the food she was given at the people who found her, but we managed to settle her stomach, gave her water and kept her warm. She got accustomed to us and was very trusting, trotting in tiny steps to sit beside us on a blanket on the floor.

That first morning we went to the vet, who let us know she was heavily infested with fleas and parasites, anaemic, and malnourished from her life on the street. She weighed only a little above 400 g at almost 7 weeks, when it should have been close to double. We got recommended a more nourishing kitten food, she got treated for the fleas and parasites, and we went home.

At home we started her on the new food and had two blissful and love filled days. We monitored her and sent every few hours updates about her feeding and poop to the vet. Other than that, we simply enjoyed her, me and my partner taking turns in holding her for hours warmed in a blanket at our chests, holding a bowl up to her chin to feed her and give her water, even playing with her and letting her explore in the short energy bursts she had between sleeping. When she wasn’t being held she slept wrapped next to a warm water bottle and we would check on her constantly. She was deeply loved and we hope with all our hearts that she felt that, and that she was warm, safe and happy.

Towards the morning of the third day, my partner woke me up and told me the kitten wasn’t feeling well. She had been fine only 2-3 hours ago, but now she was limp and gasping for air. It was soul crushing watching her. We called and called desperately but no vet was available earlier than 8 in the morning, and there was no emergency service. We painstakingly massaged and held her for an hour, kept her warm and her blood circulating until a little before 8.

We drove as fast as we could, but she stopped breathing on the way to the vet; when we burst through the doors it was already too late. She was gone.

We later understood that when the medication in her system started working all the parasites inside caused her to bleed internally and her tiny body couldn’t make it. We saw traces of blood on her blanket at the end. I’m not sure, even we could have gotten her to a vet earlier, if there was anything that could have been done.

We are beyond heartbroken, and spent most of the first day without her cleaning out her things and crying. On the second day we went for a walk, and printed this photo of her. We now have an empty nest and a tiny framed picture on our bookshelf.

We cherish the time we had with our Maelle, although we were hoping for 20 years instead of 2 days. Our comforting thought is that at least we spend almost those entire two days just being enamored and loving on her (and not sleeping a lot) - so they feel somewhat stretched out.

She was given a tour of the apartment, she watched cartoons while cuddling on my partner, and made miniature biscuits on my lap while I worked at the computer.

After more healing we will probably try to adopt again, as there are so many tiny souls who deserve better chances, but it has been really hard - and so unfair to her.

Our tiny rescue kitten didn’t make it and we are devastated