A kitten with a shorter leg led to the rescue of her entire cat family, helping them find a better life.

Little Wanderers NYC, an animal rescue, received a request to help a tiny brown tabby with “a malformed leg.” When rescuers arrived, they realized the kitten wasn’t the only one needing help.

She and her three siblings were born in a bodega, “living in a rusted crate behind the kitchen.” One of her legs appeared to be shorter than the rest. Even though she walked with a limp, she never let it slow her down.

“We knew instantly that she was a fighter,” Little Wanderers NYC shared.

The rescue took the entire feline family under their wing, including the mother cat, and provided a foster home where they could thrive. The kittens, five weeks old, were boisterous, romping around with playful energy.

“Ever since we rescued these four kittens (Ember, Wade, Cinder, and Clod), they have been playing nonstop. Even Ember, with a malformed back leg, can’t hold back. They are eating and playing machines all day.”

Their mother cat, Elemental, was underweight, with a rail-thin body that required extra nourishment and care.

Once the kittens were weaned and independent, Elemental moved to another foster home, where she could focus on healing and gaining strength. She seemed relieved to retire from motherhood and finally enjoy the pampered life she deserved.

From the beginning, Ember and her brother Wade shared an extraordinary bond. They were always together, cuddling, with Wade wrapping his arms around Ember.

Ember never let her deformity stop her from getting around.

With just three working legs, she not only kept up with her siblings but thrived, excelling in everything they did.

“She jumps, climbs, plays, and does everything that all kittens do. She has so much energy and fire in her, and she loves to be in the heart of action at all times.”

“She managed to be the first of her siblings to climb the kitten tree and always discovered new nooks around the house to lead her siblings to adventure. She’s a fighter and an adventurer who has an amazing spirit.”

Wade, her partner in mischief, has a silly and laid-back personality.

“He loves to hunt his toys by finding a nook to hide and wait for the perfect moment to pounce.”

Wade loves riding on his people’s shoulders and cuddling in their arms, adoring human affection as much as he enjoys adventures.

After two months in foster care, Ember was ready for her leg surgery, which would improve her quality of life. “Turns out she was missing a piece of her pelvis.”

With Cinder and Clod adopted as a pair, the rescue hoped that Ember and Wade would also find their happily ever after together.

One day, a wonderful adoption application arrived for both Ember and Wade – a dream come true. “After the surgery, she will be going to her forever home with her brother Wade.”

A request to help a kitten with a deformity turned into a rescue mission for the entire family. From a rusted crate in a bodega to cozy beds in their forever homes, they will never lack love and security again.