When Matthew and Simone Tipton saw the bond between the 3-legged cat and their own 2-year-old daughter, Scarlette, who had lost her left arm, they knew they had to bring the kitten home.
Scarlette, of Trabuco Canyon, California, was born with a rare cancer which necessitated the amputation of her arm when she was 10 months old. Scarlette noticed that the cat, who she met just before Christmas Eve, was also missing a limb.
The family traveled to San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus to meet the cat who was up for adoption. They had been trying to adopt a cat with a limb amputation for about six months, hoping that Scarlette could relate to the cat. When the kitten’s story was broadcast on the news, the family packed up and drove over two hours to meet her.
The kitten had been discovered bleeding from its paw. After being brought into the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus, her life was saved but her right front paw was amputated.
What some people might see as a flaw made the kitten perfect in the eyes of the Tipton family. The kitten is now exploring her new home and continuing to develop her bond with Scarlette. The kitten will be renamed Doc in honor of Doc McStuffins, Scarlette’s favorite cartoon character.
