It has been three years since we lost Tardar Sauce, or Grumpy Cat, as she was known online. Now, at long last, we’ve got a new surly kitten to fill the Grumpy Cat-shaped hole in our hearts.
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Everyone, say hello to Widget!
Don’t worry, she’s not mad at you. That’s just her face!
Widget was born into a litter of strays that someone dropped off at Carroll County Humane Society in Tennessee. All of her siblings were purr-fectly healthy and regulation-sized, but Widget was just a little bit different. For starters, she has genetic abnormalities that resulted in stunted growth of her body and limbs, leading to a diagnosis of dwarfism.
For another thing, she’s got a permanent frown on her face that is so adorable, no one can resist her charms!
Michelle Roberts started volunteering at the shelter back in 2008, and now she’s their go-to person for handling special needs kittens. When she got the call about fostering the shelter’s first dwarf kitten due to a lack of space at the shelter, she jumped at the chance to foster Widget and her siblings. The moment she saw Widget’s grumpy little face, she fell head over heels for this little “runt.”
“It was very obvious that she was smaller than her siblings,” Michelle recalled. “She weighed less than the other cats and just really wasn’t growing. You could also tell that her legs were very short and ‘chonky’ and she certainly had that ‘Grumpy Cat’ look. I instantly fell in love.”
Michelle bonded with Widget right away. The other kittens from the litter all got adopted to loving homes, but Widget made it clear she wanted to stay right where she was. Michelle describes her personality as “sassy” and says she thrives on attention. Fearing another home might not have the experience she has with special needs animals, Michelle decided to make it official and become a “foster fail!”
“I knew I loved that grumpy face from day one, and I adopted her because I did not want someone else to adopt her and not take care of her,” she said. “I love her no matter what.”
Widget is now fully grown and weighs just 7 pounds, making her the perfect lap cat! She gets along with her new cat siblings, and she has the best mom possible to care for her needs. Plus, she’s becoming kind of a big deal on the internet. Long live the Grumpy Cats of the world!
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