Hero of the Week: 5-week-old kitten rescued after nearly freezing to death

 This week's hero is a resident of Berkeley, Massachusetts, who feeds and cares for a feral cat colony and noticed one little 5 week old kitten who needed  immediate medical attention because of freezing temperatures. Here's the story.

(Photo:   Applesauce is recovering after nearly freezing to death. Credit: Animal Rescue League of Boston)

5-week-old kitten rescued after nearly freezing to death in Berkley, Mass.  

By Dialynn Dwyer, Boston Globe/Boston com November 21, 2023

A 5-week-old kitten that was found cold to the touch recently in Berkley when temperatures dipped below freezing is recovering after almost dying from exposure.

The Animal Rescue League of Boston said the kitten, now named Applesauce, was found almost frozen to death in a cat colony by a resident who regularly monitors and feeds the felines. The community cat feeder was alarmed, according to the animal rescue organization, that the kitten was cold to the touch and listless, taking it inside and using blankets and sugar water in an attempt to warm him after contacting the Animal Rescue League.

When the kitten’s temperature was taken by the organization at their animal care shelter, his temperature was just 93 degrees — a normal body temperature for a cat is between 100.5 and 102.5 degrees.

“ARL’s veterinary team used a heated blanket to help increase the kitten’s body temperature and closely monitored him,” the organization said in a statement. “Over the course of several hours, the kitten’s temperature had risen to 98F, and he was starting to perk up, indicated by a voracious appetite. Aside from being nearly frozen to death, the kitten was otherwise in good health.”

For the first 24 to 36 hours that Applesauce was with his foster family, they reported he was still lethargic and spent most of his time curled up sleeping, the Animal Rescue League said.

“However, by the third day in the foster home, Applesauce rebounded, being very vocal, attention-seeking, and purring for hours on end!” the organization said.

Now 7 weeks old, Applesauce is still too young to be adopted, but the Animal Rescue League said the kitten will be ready to go to his new forever home in “a matter of weeks.”