This Kitten Carries Her Toy Named Lamby Beans Everywhere After Being Brought Into Foster Care Alone
Interview With Owner
Sometimes even the smallest, most vulnerable critters don’t get so lucky in life. Even some that are as adorable and affectionate as kittens are born with all sorts of problems, diseases, and sicknesses. That’s exactly what happened to this adorable girl named Matilda Beans.
Matilda was born with an upper respiratory infection, which hit her hard because of her age. While her brothers and sisters grew, Matilda was getting worse and worse. Thankfully, an amazing human named Ashley Kelley decided to foster her and nurse Matilda back to health. It took lots of work and dedication and eventually the kitten was back to full health and can live a happy life. While all of this was happening, Matilda found a new friend that kept her company—a stuffed toy named Lamby Beans. As Ashley said: “A love story, starring Matilda Beans and her baby Lamby Beans.”
More info: Rescue Shelter’s Instagram | Ashley’s Instagram
This is Matilda with her favorite toy named baby Lamby Beans
Image credits: wrennrescues
Lamby Beans has been Matilda’s best support during her recovery
Image credits: wrennrescues
Matilda’s life wasn’t easy from the start. She was born with all kinds of sicknesses
Image credits: wrennrescues
Ashley told Bored Panda: “Matilda Beans was 9 days old when I met her. She was part of a litter who came into our rescue a bit sick with an upper respiratory infection (URI), but since she was the runt, it hit her very hard. Everyone else improved, but she only got sicker and sicker until it got to a really critical point.”
Image credits: wrennrescues
While her siblings grew up into healthy kittens, she only got sicker and sicker
Image credits: wrennrescues
Image credits: wrennrescues
Ashley Kelley took Matilda in with open arms. She spent months trying to save Matilda with all sorts of special equipment
Image credits: wrennrescues
“I have ICU equipment at my house (an incubator, oxygen concentrator, nebulizer, injectable fluids, and ability to give medications, and I work from home so am able to monitor constantly), so it was decided that she should come to my house to get through her sickness.”
Image credits: wrennrescues
For a very long time, Matilda didn’t get any better, the vets were saying that she needs to be euthanized
Image credits: wrennrescues
“Once she got here, though, she actually got a little bit worse and was diagnosed with severe corneal ulcers and a pretty severe case of pneumonia on top of her URI. The option of euthanasia was brought up by the vets at her worst point, as a compassionate option since she was very very sick, but I knew she wasn’t ready to give up. It took a whole month of constant oxygen therapy, multiple nebulizer treatments per day, very strong antibiotics, eye drops, and nose drops to get her through it, but she was very strong-willed and wanted to live, so she did! We were told she may not see, but her ulcers cleared up completely and she seems just fine. She amazes me!”
Image credits: wrennrescues
However, Ashley knew the kitten wasn’t ready to give up, so she didn’t either. Ashley kept on taking care of Matilda
Image credits: wrennrescues
Image credits: wrennrescues
Thankfully, all the hard work paid off and Matilda is now a beautiful and healthy 11-week-old kitten
Image credits: wrennrescues
“She is now almost 11 weeks old and still has some residual lung scarring and chronic congestion problems we are working on clearing up, but she is otherwise a very healthy and happy growing girl. She is very feisty and playful but will pause her playtime to come to cuddle up and lick my nose in an aggressively affectionate way. She is constantly moving, playing, and wrestling with her kitten friends. She’s been such a joy to foster.”
Image credits: wrennrescues
Ashley tells us how Matilda is doing now: “Matilda Beans is doing great! She has some persistent sneezes and watering eyes occasionally, but it is minimal and not contagious to other cats. We are optimistic that she will eventually outgrow it, but if not, that’s okay too. She can still live a happy, fulfilling life!
She is still looking for her forever home! Adopters will need to be within 4 hours of the Los Angeles area, and have another young cat to be friends with her. They must also promise to never declaw, and to keep her indoors.”
Image credits: wrennrescues
Image credits: wrennrescues
Ashley tells us why she didn’t give up on Matilda: “I’ve fostered a lot of sick kittens, and not all of them make it. And I never give up on a foster kitten, but when they are too sick or incompatible with life on earth, they always tell me in their way. There will be different symptoms, of course, with each case, but I can always see when the light goes out in their eyes. Matilda Beans’ light never even dimmed; it is a wildfire rather than a light.
I foster one litter or group of kittens at a time, and after one group gets adopted I tend to take the next one in pretty quickly since there is a never-ending need. I specialize in sickly or special needs kittens, and there are tons of them out there! Matilda Beans was a more intensive case since she needed round-the-clock care for over a month. But not unusual for the demographic of kittens I foster.”
“We were told she may not see, but her ulcers cleared up completely and she seems just fine. She amazes me!”
Image credits: wrennrescues
Image credits: wrennrescues
Image credits: wrennrescues
Matilda’s trusty companion Lamby Beans was always by her side and she never lets him out of her sight
Image credits: wrennrescues
Ashley told us how Matilda got Lamby Beans: “Lamby Beans was in my stash of washable foster kitten toys, I’m not even entirely sure where it came from! But when she hit the playful 3-week-old stage, I put it in the incubator with her so she’d have a friend and she took right to it! They were inseparable until she finally got past her contagious point and could meet my other two fosters. She spends less time with LB now, but she still cuddles up to it when she’s sleepy.”
Image credits: wrennrescues
When she’s not snuggling her favorite plush toy, she’s playing with her siblings or foster mom
Image credits: wrennrescues
Image credits: wrennrescues
Ashley gives some advice to people who want to foster: “I could go on for hours on advice for fosters, but I will just share the advice that I needed to hear the most as a foster. Prioritize your mental health! Fostering is super fun and very rewarding, as these animals literally wouldn’t get from their previous life to their ‘happily ever after’ without foster homes, but it can also be heartbreaking and exhausting. Special needs and very young animals especially, sometimes they don’t make it. More commonly, they DO make it, but they take a lot of your emotional and physical energy with them! Take time to take care of yourself. If you find yourself overwhelmed, it’s okay to take a break. It’s very easy to get sucked into animal rescue and then burn out, and then we lose our amazing volunteers!”
Her story is the perfect example of why you should never give up, even if it seems like the whole world is against you
Image credits: wrennrescues
“Matilda is a force of nature. For any astrology enthusiast, she is a classic Aries. A fiery, vivacious girl. She is always bouncing around, wrestling her two kitten friends, and smacking toys across the room. When I come in the room she is thrilled to see me, and much like a hyperactive toddler will come over to give me a sneezy kiss on my nose and then continue on her way. She loves all other cats, my human children, and our small dogs even. Friendly and spicy.”
Ashley tells us more about herself and her story: “I began fostering with my mom in 2006 as a teenager. We started with puppies, which soon led to adult dogs, and then we tried a mama cat with a litter, then orphaned kittens. That was where I found my calling, and I’ve loved it ever since. When I got married and had my two children, I took a couple of years off from kittens and fostered a couple of older cats, but when my children were school age I got back into it. I’ve recently decided to focus more on special needs cases since they tend to be euthanized due to a lack of resources.”
Image credits: wrennrescues
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Nothing but respect for Ashley. Indeed, ANY humama or petpa that looks after the less fortunate...
I have a cat called baby who carries a plush toy penguin ( called chicken, don't ask) around with her wherever she goes
Aw! I have a cat who carries around a little plush unicorn.
Load More Replies...
I'm glad to hear Matilda pulled through. I do wish the story went more into Lamby Beans since it is mentioned in the title. Where'd she get it? Any pictures of her carrying it? Does she lick it to groom it or anything like that? There was only one mention in the story of Lamby, which was a bit sad. It's an adorable plushie and always love hearing pets that have favourite toys like that.
I applaud you for everything you did! It is not easy when it seems that everybody is against you and they choose the easy way out…euthanasia. It took me close to four month and lots and lots of money spend to save my kitten. I went with my guts and did the same as you did, and now he is five years old at a respectful weight of 18lbs! Just to clarify, he is not obese, he is a very large Burmese boi.
This is a lovely story, and I’m glad she’s okay now, but I wonder what does that sort of medical intervention does to an animal long-term? Does it leave them with any residual fears, psychological damage, or low-grade pain? I only ask as I had a very traumatic experience a couple of years ago at the hospital around my lungs and also have scars on my heart, and me, as a human with words and others to help, still feel some after-effects, and have low-grade pain and lots of fatigue daily. Or are cats more able to let it go? Maybe I should be more cat!
Im sorry you are dealing with that on the daily :( none of my business but do you have a pet? I have some similar things after hard surgeries and scarred lungs, and sometimes my kitty is a real expert at cheering me up with her simple happy lifestyle ^-^ I should be more cat too :D
Load More Replies...
I Understand Your Just A Foster Mom But Please Consider Making Room For At Least Matilda And Hopefully Her Siblings As Well She Thinks Of You As Her Mama And She Is A Fighter And Your A Helper So You Deserve Each Other And If You Read This Give Her A Hug And Kiss For Me She Is So Beautiful
My sister has begun fostering kittens and they are precious! They all came in with conjunctivitis but she gives them their medicine and they are now a handful. She just got a new one that is in quarantine because he/she is sick with something that could be spread to the other kittens. He/she has also been getting medicine and should be cleared up in a couple more days :3
I fostered one with fading kitten disease (at least that's what the shelter called it). I have never had a kitten before, only an elderly cat. Took her everywhere I went and fed her with a syringe ever 2 hours. The hard work paid off and in a couple of months I was asking the shelter to put her up for adoption. Why? I couldn't sleep. Any tiny movement in the bed was a target of her baby shark teeth. BTW, we called her Little Miss and her new parents kept the name.
With Love, all things are possible! Thank you Ashley for all that you do and for not giving up on Ms Beans! God Bless You!
My cat has a little stuffed squirrel toy. 11 years later he still drags it around the house. To this day I share my bed at night with my cat and his stuffed animal.
Kudos to both. It's amazing how having someone believe in you can be the most powerful healing power. I love her little black lei around her neck and her eyes are beautiful. A long and happy life for both of you. If we're lucky, we find our soul mate. Two legs, four legs, it doesn't matter. Love is a powerful gift we all have in us. It's a shame some never realize giving has the highest returns.
I have a little baby cat like that. He's so affectionate he can't handle it. He bites when you love on him. We call him Meanie. He was so sick when he was a baby and today he is six years old. He is still very small and he has problems controlling his claws but otherwise he is perfect in every way.
What a miracle she is! Good of Ashley not to give up on her. Matilda is a beautiful little kitten.
Nothing but respect for Ashley. Indeed, ANY humama or petpa that looks after the less fortunate...
I have a cat called baby who carries a plush toy penguin ( called chicken, don't ask) around with her wherever she goes
Aw! I have a cat who carries around a little plush unicorn.
Load More Replies... I'm glad to hear Matilda pulled through. I do wish the story went more into Lamby Beans since it is mentioned in the title. Where'd she get it? Any pictures of her carrying it? Does she lick it to groom it or anything like that? There was only one mention in the story of Lamby, which was a bit sad. It's an adorable plushie and always love hearing pets that have favourite toys like that.
I applaud you for everything you did! It is not easy when it seems that everybody is against you and they choose the easy way out…euthanasia. It took me close to four month and lots and lots of money spend to save my kitten. I went with my guts and did the same as you did, and now he is five years old at a respectful weight of 18lbs! Just to clarify, he is not obese, he is a very large Burmese boi.
This is a lovely story, and I’m glad she’s okay now, but I wonder what does that sort of medical intervention does to an animal long-term? Does it leave them with any residual fears, psychological damage, or low-grade pain? I only ask as I had a very traumatic experience a couple of years ago at the hospital around my lungs and also have scars on my heart, and me, as a human with words and others to help, still feel some after-effects, and have low-grade pain and lots of fatigue daily. Or are cats more able to let it go? Maybe I should be more cat!
Im sorry you are dealing with that on the daily :( none of my business but do you have a pet? I have some similar things after hard surgeries and scarred lungs, and sometimes my kitty is a real expert at cheering me up with her simple happy lifestyle ^-^ I should be more cat too :D
Load More Replies... I Understand Your Just A Foster Mom But Please Consider Making Room For At Least Matilda And Hopefully Her Siblings As Well She Thinks Of You As Her Mama And She Is A Fighter And Your A Helper So You Deserve Each Other And If You Read This Give Her A Hug And Kiss For Me She Is So Beautiful
My sister has begun fostering kittens and they are precious! They all came in with conjunctivitis but she gives them their medicine and they are now a handful. She just got a new one that is in quarantine because he/she is sick with something that could be spread to the other kittens. He/she has also been getting medicine and should be cleared up in a couple more days :3
I fostered one with fading kitten disease (at least that's what the shelter called it). I have never had a kitten before, only an elderly cat. Took her everywhere I went and fed her with a syringe ever 2 hours. The hard work paid off and in a couple of months I was asking the shelter to put her up for adoption. Why? I couldn't sleep. Any tiny movement in the bed was a target of her baby shark teeth. BTW, we called her Little Miss and her new parents kept the name.
With Love, all things are possible! Thank you Ashley for all that you do and for not giving up on Ms Beans! God Bless You!
My cat has a little stuffed squirrel toy. 11 years later he still drags it around the house. To this day I share my bed at night with my cat and his stuffed animal.
Kudos to both. It's amazing how having someone believe in you can be the most powerful healing power. I love her little black lei around her neck and her eyes are beautiful. A long and happy life for both of you. If we're lucky, we find our soul mate. Two legs, four legs, it doesn't matter. Love is a powerful gift we all have in us. It's a shame some never realize giving has the highest returns.
I have a little baby cat like that. He's so affectionate he can't handle it. He bites when you love on him. We call him Meanie. He was so sick when he was a baby and today he is six years old. He is still very small and he has problems controlling his claws but otherwise he is perfect in every way.
What a miracle she is! Good of Ashley not to give up on her. Matilda is a beautiful little kitten.
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