Winky was found as a kitten by a local Trap Neuter Return group along with her mother and siblings.
They were living in the wild in a large feral cat colony.
Most TNR programs won’t release a mother and her litter back into the wild because the kittens can be socialized and adopted out quite easily.
Heather Spencer, a volunteer for a local rescue, was called by her friend who helped catch the cat family to help foster the mother and kittens.
Winky was the tiniest of the bunch, and the only one of them born with feline dwarfism.
Foster fail
As soon as Winky arrived at Spencer’s home, she turned up the charm and showed just how playful and adorable she could be.
“She was just a few ounces and she was not shy at all. For being so tiny, she was incredibly brave and playful. Winky enjoyed snuggling into my shirt or hanging out on my shoulder.”
Heather Spencer, Love Meow, 2020.
And although her mother and siblings were eventually adopted out, Spencer decided to keep Winky.
She couldn’t bear to let the little ball of joy go.
Winky is now three years old and weighs just three and a half pounds (1.6kg).
For comparison the average weight of a female adult cat is eight (3.6kg) to twelve pounds (5.4kg).
The eyes are the window to the soul
Winky’s dwarfism means that although her skull is smaller than an average cat, her eyes are the same size of an average cat.
This results in incredibly expressive, big, beautiful eyes.
Her face conveys every emotion she is feeling perfectly.
And the most common expression on her face is that of love.
And like all cats, she’s not afraid to show her displeasure!
It is no wonder that Winky turned out to be a foster fail with a face like hers.
And a sweet, sassy, personality to boot!