“I got a call one night from a veterinarian at an emergency clinic asking me if I could help with two kittens who’d been accidentally injured by a lawnmower,” said Sarah Richardson, a critical care cat rescuer for Community Cats of Central Arkansas.

A woman in rural Arkansas living on several acres of land was mowing her grass one evening when a tragic accident occured. The woman didn’t have cats of her own and had never seen any cats or kittens on her property. Not to mention it was difficult for her to see anything in the tall grass she was mowing. She was walking to her car the next morning when she heard whimpering in the distance. She kept searching until she finally found the source of the cries: two tiny kittens curled up in a little ball, holding each other tight.

Rushing to The Rescue

The woman’s heart dropped when she realized what had happened. She rushed the kittens to the emergency vet, but didn’t have the financial resources to pay for the emergency surgery they desperately needed. She offered to pay for what she could afford, which was either medication or euthanasia.

“The vet told me that they needed emergency surgery. If they couldn’t get it, they’d need to be euthanized,” said Sarah.

“We didn’t have the money either, but we scraped together what we could and financed the rest,” Sarah continued. “I couldn’t bear to let them be euthanized.”

Sarah took the kittens to her personal vet the next morning for emergency surgery where they’d each have their back left leg amputated. Just when things were starting to look hopeful, Sarah was met with more troubling news…

Tiny but Mighty

What Sarah didn’t know at the time was just how young the kittens were. They were roughly 5 weeks old, weighing less than a pound. They weren’t even fully weaned yet!

“It’s incredible that they survived the surgery considering how little they are,” said Sarah.

It was risky for kittens this young to have an invasive surgery, but Sarah didn’t have a choice.

It was either risk the surgery or have no chance of survival without it.

But the surgery was a success! These kittens were tiny but mighty. They had a strong will to live. Nothing could slow them down!

Twin Kittens, Twin Tripods

Since they’re twins, Sarah gave them names that fit them perfectly: Jack and Jill! This brother and sister duo are indistinguishable. If it weren’t for Jack being a boy and Jill being a girl, it’d be impossible to tell them apart! Coincidentally, each of their back left legs were removed, making them identical tripods!

Together Forever

Jack and Jill share an incredibly special bond. It’s their love and support for each other that’s given them the strength to survive. Sarah has promised to put them up for adoption as a bonded pair. They belong together!

“They need each other,” said Sarah. “After everything they’ve been through, I couldn’t imagine separating them.”

Since having surgery, Jack & Jill have been fully weaned and learned how to eat cat food.

“These kittens are so impressive. They’ve been champs throughout their entire journey!” said Sarah.

They’re still getting adjusted to walking on 3 legs, but they’ve already made huge progress. Now that the worst is over, Jack & Jill can finally relax and focus on being kittens!

“They’re already tumbling around and playing with toys,” said Sarah. “Their spunky personalities are shining brighter than ever!”

They’ll still need several follow-up vet visits to ensure their recovery is going smoothly. Once they’re old enough, they’ll be fully vetted, spayed/neutered, and ready to find their forever family! The woman who found the kittens set up humane traps to find the mama cat or any remaining kittens, but she came up empty handed.

It’s a mystery how Jack and Jill ended up alone in those fields, but everyone is so grateful they’re safe and sound.

“It amazes me that they survived through the night with their injuries,” said Sarah. “I’m just happy we got to them in time.”