In Salt Lake City, Utah, a tiny kitten named “Tater Tot” had taken over social media with oohs and aahs from thousands of people who found him irresistible, and oh so adorable. Sadly he died just days ago, and the internet was left in tears.
According to the rescue group Kitty CrusAIDe, a volunteer brought the kitten into the rescue because he needed special help. He was only a few days old when he arrived; his littermate had not survived. He had been born with all four of his legs malformed; the two front legs bent at 90 degree angles, and his back legs curled up. A cleft palate made eating and drinking difficult also; oh so many physical challenges for a kitten so tiny.
Because of his incredible spirit, Tater Tot’s foster mom, Ash Houghton, detailed the kitten’s stories, and it wasn’t long before his progress went viral; the photos and updates were posted on Instagram, and Tater’s followers loved it.
According to Ash, the world loves the underdog, and so many people were able to be inspired by Tater’s journey. The rescue organization had been working with an orthopedic specialist to straighten the kitten’s legs, and the splints were slowly doing their job.
Sadly, despite the best laid plans of the most compassionate and capable caregivers, life takes some heartbreaking turns:
Today our tiny spud passed away suddenly in my hands. His energy has been slowly decreasing over the last week or so, and with how sudden his passing was today, i truly think he had an enlarged heart and it couldn’t keep up with him. One moment he was walking around and the next he wAS GONE.
Ash
This tiny little potato has had such a profound impact on my heart, and I am so unbelievably happy i got to share him with the entire world…
Ash
Tater Tot showed the world how we must all do our best to overcome our own challenges.
The kitten’s followers expressed their sadness and commented how they had bonded with the tiny fighter. On Twitter, the term “Tater Tot” trended with more than 70,000 tweets paying their respect to the tiny kitten. His short little life brought joy to those who followed his brave journey.
Rest easy little one. We are all saddened, but so grateful to have met you and your incredibly brave spirit.
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