LIVE: Pet Connection: Meet Willow

FARGO — Willow is barely five weeks old, but she’s already had some tough times in life.

The little brown tabby cat with shoulder-length hair came to her rescue over Memorial Day weekend, when someone came with her to a local coffee shop looking for someone to rehome her, essentially abandoning her .

Not only that, but Willow shouldn’t have been taken from her mother and littermates at all at this point.

She is now an example of what some rescuers call “single kitten syndrome.”

This is when the kitten is removed too early, so that it does not receive appropriate socialization from its peers and parents about how difficult it is to play.

This means you get a kitten who is always trying to start playing, but is not fun to play with because he bites and scratches way too hard.

Rescuer Debra Bartelt of Far North Feline Rescue is working to socialize Willow, including giving her more time with other kittens and eventually an adult cat, but it will take time.

That’s partly why she doesn’t adopt cats until they’re 11 or 12 weeks old.

By then, Willow will have learned a lot about being a great feline companion and will be ready to go home forever.

To learn more about her and the other Far North cats, check out their website below:

https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/nd/fargo/far-north-feline-rescue-nd44/