Dear Readers:

Just last month, I had the privilege to help facilitate a rescue. When the heroine of the adventure, acknowledged cat whisperer Fran Bush, wrote the story and sent it to me, I asked if I could share it. I think you will truly appreciate Fran’s talent and expertise, both as a storyteller and a caring human being. I’m proud to call her my friend.

Here in her own words is the story of “The Kitten Who Lived.” Thanks, Fran, for sharing.

Paula Gail Benson

THE KITTEN WHO LIVED (A True Story)

By Frances “Fran” Bush

On Saturday, September 27, 2025, I received a text message from my friend Paula asking me if I would be willing to take a kitten who a friend of hers had found.  The friend couldn’t keep the kitten. I said Yes.  Paula put her friend Catherine in touch with me and then I learned the rest of the rescue story.

Catherine and her husband, Shawn, live in Lexington, S.C., and they rescue dogs.  They were traveling on a very busy highway in Lexington County, in a 55mph zone, when they spotted 2 dogs in the center of the road.  They had stopped to check on the dogs when they noticed one dog had something in its mouth. They forced the dog to drop what they thought was a squirrel only to realize it was a tiny kitten.

In a few more seconds, the dog would have killed the baby kitten, but Catherine and her husband saved it!  

Having rescued the baby kitten, they tried to find help.  When they contacted the animal shelters in and near Columbia, S.C., they learned the shelters would not take cats or kittens because of some kind of cat illness.

Then, they checked every other place and person they could think of with no help found. Catherine resorted to posting a plea for help on Facebook.  That is where our mutual friend Paula saw the post, contacted me, and put me in touch with Catherine.

If Catherine had not posted on Facebook and Paula had not immediately seen the post and called me, I would never have known about the tiny baby kitten needing help.

When Catherine texted me, we arranged to meet about halfway between Lexington and my home in Windsor.  Catherine and Shawn were waiting for us when we arrived in Pelion, S.C.   One look at the tiny baby kitten in a big box and I knew it was worth the trip.  I talked to Catherine for just a couple of minutes, and they gave me a 7-pound bag of Fancy Feast Kitten food they had purchased.

When I took the hissing kitten out of the box, I realized the kitten’s eyes were stuck shut and that puss was leaking from the corners. My husband Don went into the store and bought a bottle of water, then I used a wet tissue to open and clean the tiny feral kitten’s eyes. There was a lot of infection in the kitten’s eyes but no visible permanent damage.

One more day with the eyes stuck shut and the kitten could have been blind. Catherine had saved the kitten again!

Don drove home while I cuddled the dirty little feral spitfire. I love getting feral baby kittens that I can tame and find homes for.   By the time we got home the sweet little flea covered kitten had quit hissing and was taking a nap.

The first thing that needed to happen was to feed the kitten. I thought the kitten was about 8 weeks old and I had stage 2 kitten food and canned kitten food.  The kitten would not eat the canned kitten food, stage 2 liquid, or kitten kibble.

Next was a bath. The fleas and dirt had to go. By the end of the bath the little Hissy-Fit was a Beautiful Kitten with lots of white and a patchwork of black and tan strips.  Then I noticed an injury on the kitten’s abdomen. The injury didn’t look deep, but it needed to be checked.

For Martha Teachey, who lives with us, it was Love at First Sight.

I managed to get a little watered-down formula into the kitten Saturday night.

Don drove into Aiken to PetSmart on Sunday for Cat Milk Replacement formula.  Yep, the kitten loved that!  I spent all of Sunday playing with and bottle feeding the Beautiful little kitten and I cleaned the baby’s eyes every couple of hours. By the end of the day, I was smitten and so was Don.

What should I name the kitten?  I settled on Lexie Girl or Lexy Boy for Lexington kitten.

First thing Monday morning I called the Vet’s office and was told to bring Lexie in that afternoon.  Lexie was a hit with everyone who saw the tiny kitten, and they were amazed at Lexie’s story. Dr Barber checked Lexie – 5 weeks old, female, 1.0 pound. He prescribed ointment for her eyes and said the wound on her abdomen was healing.  When they asked me if I was keeping her, I said YES.

5 weeks old! No wonder Lexie didn’t want the other kitten food. Time to buy more Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR). I took Lexie into PetSmart.  The employees and customers loved her.

It has been one week since Catherine and Shawn rescued Lexie and every day is a new adventure. Lexie loves to play. We had to clip her claws – I became her climbing post and chew toy. Lexie loves her other new toys, too.  She does NOT like being carried and becomes a Velcro baby.  Lexie has graduated from a small carrier at night to a big crate.  Lexie has her own tiny litter box and has Litter Box Trained Herself. 

Most of the big cats still have not accepted Lexie. They hiss at her and she hisses back at them.  But Lexie knows that We are her Mommy and Daddy. And I am SOOOO glad that we have her!!

UPDATE: 10/11/2025  We adopted Lexie 2 weeks ago today. All of the cats have accepted Lexie. She is weaned from the bottle, loves her kibble and canned food, and Plays and PLAYS! Lexie is now 1½ pounds.

UPDATE: 10/16/2025  We adopted Lexie 19 days ago today.  Lexie has grown from the tiny baby kitten who was 6 inches long to 9in long + her tail. Lexie is now 1lb 12oz. She climbs onto the recliner, jumps off, and tackles me and Daddy. 2 of our big cats have started playing with Lexie.

 Thank You Paula!!!

Thank You Catherine and Shawn!!!

Don and I have done cat rescue for 35 years. We live way out in the country, back off the road, and we have several acres of land, so we are not putting the cats in danger or overcrowding the neighborhood.  No matter how many cats we have, we try to make room for one more if they need us.  Most of the time we take care of them, tame and spoil them, and try to find them a good home. But if needed, they will always have a home here.

Lexie is now HEALTHY and HAPPY!