The volunteers at Best Friends Felines weren’t sure if Dixie would survive. But she managed to overcome all her hardships without becoming hardened. In fact, she’s a little lovebug.
Now Dixie is a huge hugger thanks to all the love and support she got. Dixie came into the shelter as an orphaned kitten who hadn’t even opened her eyes yet.
She was extremely tiny and wasn’t getting her formula down well. The poor kitten had to be tube fed just to stay alive.
Touch and go
The food helped to strengthen Dixie, who fought to survive. The rescue’s staff wasn’t really sure if Dixie was going to make it during those first two weeks.
But they gave her a lot of love which helped her to thrive. Dixie had “a few scares,” according to Love Meow, but was able to eat from a bottle after two weeks.
It wasn’t long before she started gaining weight. She doubled in size after four weeks in foster care.
“She was back on track and was drinking (formula) wonderfully,” Best Friends Felines reported. “Dixie is proving to be an adventurous little lady and is just full of personality.”
It wasn’t long before Dixie was a proper weight for her age. She was full of energy and loved to run around and play. Actually, Dixie was more of a bouncer, like a little bunny rabbit.
“Dixie is coming along in leaps and bounds from the teeny tiny neonate that joined Best Friends Felines,” the organization said. “She has become super playful and interacting with toys, chasing them all over the house. She has started to groom herself which is always a cute stage.”
She’s a hugger
As Dixie grew into her personality, the Best Friends Felines staff learned that what Dixie loved most was giving hugs. She would hug anything she could. She especially loved walking around her foster house and snuggling up against her humans or climbing up on their arms and legs to get close.
 “Like most hand-raised babies, Dixie is very affectionate and loves hanging out in your arms,” Best Friends Felines said.
Once Dixie passed the 1 lb. mark, she could join the other foster kittens and have playmates to hug. Dixie was the only survivor from her litter. So, she switched foster homes so that she could be placed with a new litter.
“Georgia hand-raised her and pulled her through all her health issues and ups and downs. Dixie is joining her litter of six this week, so she will have siblings her own age,” Best Friends Felines said.
Dixie has a vet appointment scheduled soon. Once she is cleared, she’ll be put up for adoption to find a forever home. You can follow Best Friends Felines on Facebook for updates on Dixie.