Benjamin Buttons and his littermates found themselves without their mother all too soon. This has led to serious health issues for the tabby kitten, but you’ve been helping to address them.

Benjamin and his siblings were taken in by The Cat House on the Kings in the Fresno, California, area earlier this year. The rescue says the kittens - who weighed right around a pound - still had their comfort practice of nursing, but no mother to nurse from, so they pivoted to nursing on Benjamin’s penis. While this may elicit a wince or even an uncomfortable giggle, it unfortunately meant lots of pain for the little kitten.

Benjamin developed scar tissue, had issues with urination, and needed to be separated from his family to be treated. Thanks to you, we worked with The Cat House on the Kings to cover his care. It included trying a catheter to help him urinate, medications, and laser treatments.

At the time, the Cat House on the Kings shared his story with us, saying, “He has had a reduction in his swelling, and he is continuing to put litter to good use. This is a slow recovery injury, especially for a little growing body, so he will need much more medical care. It will be thrilling to see Benjamin Buttons develop into the age of adoption, our hearts are shining brightly for him. We need more positive energy, light and support for this minikin champion.”

Benjamin’s struggles unfortunately continued not too long after this, with his dedicated foster developing lung cancer and needing treatment herself. That put him into a new foster situation, with the daughter of his original “mom.”

She became so smitten with the little guy that she decided he wasn’t moving anywhere else again. The Cat House on the Kings prefers to call this a “foster triumph”, rather than the typical “foster failure” term. He’s also got a new sibling, a standard poodle named Jett.

Your donations helped the various people who have looked after Benjamin in his short life provide the care he’s needed, and you can contribute more to his ongoing treatment to address lingering scar tissue.

Through Greater Good Charities’ Emergency Animal Medical fund, which provides grants to shelters to cover life-saving medical care, a fundraiser has been launched to raise $6,000 for Benjamin’s treatment, and for treatment for other pets in need. If you’d like to help, click below!