LIVE: Pet Connection: Meet Willow

FARGO — Willow here is just about five weeks old but she’s already had some hard knocks in life.

The little brown medium-hair tabby came in to her rescue over memorial day weekend, when someone came in with her to a local coffee shop looking for someone to rehome her, essentially abandoning her.

Not only that, but Willow should not have been removed from her mother and littermates at all at that point.

She’s now an example of what some rescue workers call “single kitten syndrome.”

It’s when the kitten is removed too early, so it doesn’t get proper socialization from their peers and their parent about how rough to play.

That means you get a kitten who’s always trying to start games, but isn’t any fun to play with because they bite and scratch much too hard.

Rescuer Debra Bartelt of Far North Feline Rescue is working to get Willow socialized, including by getting her more time with other kittens and eventually with an adult cat, but it’ll take some time.

It’s part of why she doesn’t adopt out cats until they’re 11 or 12 weeks old.

By then, Willow will have learned a lot about being a great cat companion and be ready to go to her furever home.

For more about her and the other cats at Far North, check out their website, below:

https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/nd/fargo/far-north-feline-rescue-nd44/