There is silent suffering all around us. To many, it goes unnoticed. Hidden in the shadows, countless lives struggle and fade away before they are ever truly known. But for rescuers, that suffering echoes in our minds every single day. We think about the animals already suffering, the ones we know about and the ones we don’t. The ones waiting for help right now, and even the future lives that will be born into hardship if nothing changes. It’s everywhere around us, even when we don’t see it. It’s kitten season. Despite the adorable photos and tiny paws that flood social media, the reality is heartbreaking. While kittens are undeniably cute, those born outside face staggering odds and stories that are anything but joyful. This little one is unfortunately just one of many. Meet Clementine… She was found outside in Schoharie county, suffering and desperately crying out for help. Thankfully, some kind-hearted Good Samaritans heard those cries and took action, scooping her up and reaching out for help before it was too late. We tried to network a placement for her as we weren’t planning on taking on another medical case right now but it’s that time of year where there are so many in need and nobody has room so we picked her up. It was then that we realized that she was even worse than we originally thought so we were glad we just went with it on a hope and prayer so she now has a fighting chance. Her tiny teeth, pointed ears, and toddling steps suggest she is about four weeks old. Yet at just over 200 grams, she weighs what a healthy 1½ to 2-week-old kitten should weigh. It’s clear she has been struggling for a very long time. Her eyes are severely infected, swollen shut and painful. The swelling is too severe for the vet to be able to see her eyes at this point to know if they’ll be salvageable. And whether or not we can save her sight, right now our focus is on saving her life. She’s starving, but eating is difficult when you can barely breathe so we are having to feed her drop by drop of formula. To put it simply, she’s a hot mess - in the kindest way possible. She’s struggling immensely. And yet, every tiny gram of her is pure determination. She held on for this very moment - the moment help would finally come. The moment she wouldn’t have to be alone anymore. No longer terrified of the sounds outside she could only hear but not see. No longer cold, hungry and hurting in a world that was never meant for a baby to survive on her own. A moment where her belly might finally ache a little less. Where her story may not end with that being all she ever knew. She is now safe with us. We shared the story of Minnow, the newborn kitten born with his intestines coming out of him requiring immediate vet care but Clementine was actually at the vet just a few hours prior to that for an emergency appointment. To put it simply, she needs a miracle. But we’ve seen plenty of miracles before so we’re not giving up on her. She is receiving tedious supportive care around the clock - syringe feeding drop by drop, heat support, eye drops and warm compresses every few hours, nebulizer treatments, oral antibiotics twice a day and of course, a lot of hope, prayers and love. We don’t know what the future will hold for her but that isn’t going to stop us from pouring our all into her to give her the best chance possible. As long as she is willing to keep fighting, we’ll be right beside her, helping her fight every step of the way. #kitten #rescuekitten #kittenseason #spayandneuter #catlover - @savingfelives