Family of 2-Year-Old Amputee Adopts Kitten Missing a Leg

When the Tipton family in Orange County, Calif., heard about Holly, a 3-month-old kitten, they knew she would be the perfect Christmas present for their daughter Scarlette.

Scarlette, 2, lost her left arm to cancer when she was only 10 months old, and Holly the cat is also a recent amputee. The first time Scarlette saw Holly, she pointed to the cat’s missing limb and told her mom “owie,” according to the Riverside County Animal Services Facebook page. Her mother, Simone Tipton, replied, “Yes, an owie. Just like you. But she’s OK—just like you are too.”

Scarlette’s parents had been searching for an injured pet to aide in their daughter’s cancer recovery. Holly was found severely injured and brought to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus in southern California, where she was adopted by the Tipton family on Dec. 30.