Advertisement

'He's just perfect': Pickles the plucky kitten finds his furever home

Mark Cumby/CBC
Mark Cumby/CBC

A Facebook post about Pickles the kitten, who hops around with abandon despite being born with a condition that prevents him from using his hind legs, has made a lot of people smile — no one more than Brittany Farrell and Ryan Williams of Paradise.

"I was lying in bed and I ran into Ryan and said 'Oh my God! Look at Pickles!'" Farrell said. "And like the rest of the world, I fell in love with him."

The five-month-old kitten was born with tibial hemimelia, a congenital deformity which caused his hind limbs to twist, making them unusable.

Pickles was looked after by staff at the CBS Animal Hospital, where he was held up as a model for how animals can thrive with a little love and attention despite a deformity.

Williams said he was told that after the animal hospital posted on Facebook about Pickles being put up for adoption, the maximum number of applications was reached in less than an hour.

"I kept pestering over and over and Ryan said, 'Just put an application in,'" Farrell said. "And on Saturday morning we got the call from the SPCA saying that we got him. And I cried."

"They wanted us to come get him right away," Williams added, laughing.

Eddy Kennedy/CBC
Eddy Kennedy/CBC

Farrell and Williams were interested in adopting another cat to keep their cat Henry company. When they saw Pickles, they knew he was the kitten for them.

"When I read his story … I knew in my heart that I thought I could give him a good home and see his potential," Farrell said. "And my heart.… I just fell in love with him."

"We felt we could give him the same kind of home [as the vet]. Not show him any limitations," Williams added. "He's able to go around and do his thing and hang out with Henry, and just have that to kind of mentor him and show him the way. We love him."

Farrell calls Pickles an instigator around the house with Henry. He loves to jump on his brother, with his go-to move being a belly flop.

"He's a comic, he's very funny, Farrell said. "So sweet and loving. Definitely a little cuddlebug. He's just perfect."

Williams said the couple understands the extra responsibility that might come with Pickles as he gets older, but his disability hasn't stopped him from doing anything in his new home.

Mark Cumby/CBC
Mark Cumby/CBC

"When you adopt a cat, you assume all of those responsibilities whether or not it's a cat in full health or a cat with a different condition," Williams said.

"But from what we've seen from Pickles, he can live his life pretty independently. He eats, he runs, he jumps, he plays with no problem."

"He's in no pain," Farrell added. "How he tackles his brother? Absolutely not."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador