The adorable way a blind foster kitten manages to seek out her feline friend has melted hearts across the internet.
Lil Bit, the 7-week-old kitten, was found in the middle of a road in Wymore, Nebraska, looking incredibly sick and frail. She had a serious infection in both her eyes (leading to her eyes being surgically removed) and she was clearly in a lot of pain.
As soon as cat owner Amanda Diekman heard about Lil Bit, she felt compelled to help. Diekman, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is fostering Lil Bit for a few weeks, telling Newsweek that she’s been “a joy to have around the house.”
“I applied to foster her after seeing a Facebook post saying that she needed a warm, safe place for Christmas and knew I could provide that,” Diekman, 34, said.
Lil Bit quickly became friends with Diekman’s 18-month-old cat, named Teddy. In fact, the blind kitten has even found an intriguing (and entertaining) way of finding Teddy. As she can’t see him, Lil Bit resorts to leaping and pouncing around the house until she finally lands on Teddy.
After seeing this quirky method, Diekman couldn’t believe how “cute and smart” it was. It seemed like such an intelligent way for Lil Bit to explore the space around her.
“Usually, she stops and listens for him, then pounces all around the area until he lets her stumble upon him. She loves playing with his tail like a toy and he gladly waves it around for her to try and get it. I definitely wonder if Teddy knows she’s blind,” Diekman said.
She continued: “They have been playing nonstop and Teddy is so patient, gentle but playful. Lil Bit wants to be everywhere near Teddy. She never leaves him alone.”
Diekman posted a video on TikTok (@amdiekman) showing how Lil Bit manages to find Teddy by jumping around. The adorable clip of the blind foster kitten searching for “her playmate” has gone viral with over 1.1 million views and more than 203,300 likes at the time of writing.
The caption alongside the video noted how fun it is to watch Lil Bit “navigate her new normal.”
At such a young age, Teddy is practically a kitten himself. Nevertheless, he has been so loving and sweet toward Lil Bit.
As for Lil Bit, she has quickly shown just how fearless she can be despite the difficult experiences she’s been through. The vet linked to the Beatrice Humane Society removed both her eyes due to the infection and the severe pain she was suffering. Lil Bit will stay with Diekman until she’s healed from surgery and gained some weight. After that, she can be spayed and put up for adoption.
“Everyone loved the video online and people are obsessed with Lil Bit,” Diekman told Newsweek. “They also love how sweet Teddy is with her and how patient he is. We hope she can bring a smile to your face like she has to our lives.”
Since the video was shared online on December 18, it has amassed over 1,000 comments on TikTok already. Many social media users praised Lil Bit’s bravery and hailed the unquestionable bond she’d formed with Teddy.
One comment reads: “Those are very brave jumps for not being able to see!”
Another TikTok user wrote: “that one right there is performing a piece from the ballet ‘Foster Fail.’”
Another person replied: “Love that your other cat just sits there, waiting for kitten.”
While one commenter added: “I love how [she] senses [she] is getting closer and gets so excited.”
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