Kitten Rescued in Such a Distressing State She Requires Two Baths a Day

A rescue kitten has been discovered in such a distressing state that her rescuer has to give her two baths a day.

Butterball was found in the yard behind a pizzeria in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, but she isn't currently in a shelter. New York's largest, the Animal Care Centers of NYC, is at or already exceeding capacity.

Instead, Butterball has Rose Martin to thank for her ongoing care. Martin is a rescuer for Sunset Park Cats, which is in the process of becoming a 501c3 charity. At the moment, the organization pays for every bit of treatment that Butterball needs.

"She got in such terrible condition, just from neglect," Martin told Newsweek. "Cats born outside face immense challenges. She comes from behind a pizzeria where some neighbors feed the cats, but no one cleans or gets them vet care."

Surrender rates have exploded in New York City in recent years. Flatbush Cats, a nonprofit focused on managing the city's burgeoning feral-cat population, said that surrender rates increased 25 percent last year.

The person who first found Butterball wanted to help, but Martin said the cost of vet care was prohibitive, so they instead reached out to her.

"With the rescuer discounts and connections I have, I was lucky to get her seen right away at a wonderful vet: Park Slope Veterinary Center, who have been completely amazing about little Butterball," Martin said.

When Butterball was first found, it was thought she was suffering from a bad eye infection. It was only when the ailing kitten came into Martin's care that the true extent of her condition became clear.

"She was caked in dried urine and feces," Martin said. "Her belly was simply enormous. In trying to clean her, I exposed multiple massive wounds."

Realizing Butterball needed closer examination by a veterinarian, Martin quickly sorted her out with the treatment she needed, at no small cost. Alongside her injuries, Butterball was found to be suffering with extreme constipation and congenital hypothyroidism.

Thankfully, through a combination of antibiotics and other meds, as well as the love and care of Martin, Butterball is on the mend.

Some of the credit for her ongoing recovery should also go to Toto, another cat Martin rescued from the streets. He had been found with serious deformities and is in the middle of several rounds of surgery.

"He has taken over the caretaking for Butterball, cleaning her, playing with her, showing her the ropes of indoor life," Martin said. Both Toto and Butterball will eventually be made available for adoption, once their health issues have passed.

In a video posted to TikTok by Martin under the handle @myferalladyrescue, the rescuer says how Butterball gets two baths a day and would most likely have died had someone not intervened.

"Butterball is one of the lucky ones. Many kittens like her, no one steps up for them," Martin said. "But it's not for lack of caring; it's lack of resources. When people have the resources to take care of animals in their communities, they do it! Nice neighborhoods rescue and TNR (Trap Neuter Return) cats quickly, and places with fewer resources want to help animals like Butterball. They just need help and resources to do so."

In the meantime, Martin would encourage anyone concerned about their local feral cat population to either research TNR resources or get in touch with their local shelter and foster a cat.

"All animal rescuers are overwhelmed with how much need there is, and fostering can really mean the difference between cats like Butterball being rescued or staying out on the streets without care," Martin said.

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