PASCO COUNTY, FL—When volunteers Emilie Rackovan and Haley from Thrifted Kittens Animal Rescue arrived at Pasco County Animal Services to assist with an influx of animals, they didn’t expect to meet a tiny tabby with an unforgettable face—and an even bigger spirit.
The kitten, later named Flabbergast, had a healed degloved jaw and a perpetually startled expression. Found alone and hypothermic, his resilience immediately stood out. “He looked to be in a constant state of shock,” Emilie recalled. “We knew we couldn’t leave him.”
A Journey to Safety
Despite his vocal protests—”He screamed all the way through airport security,” Emilie laughed—Flabbergast and another rescue cat, Socks, made the trip back to the shelter. There, the tabby’s larger-than-life personality quickly emerged.
Endless Appetite, Boundless Energy
Flabbergast attacked meals with gusto, sitting directly in his food bowl as if to claim it. “He’s feisty, always yelling for more,” Haley said. After eating, he’d collapse into a “food coma,” only to revive moments later, tearing around like a kitten half his size.
Though small, Flabbergast behaved like a fearless tiger, wrestling with Socks—who towered over him—and leaping from heights “as if gravity didn’t apply,” Emilie noted. His antics continued even post-surgery, when veterinarians repaired his jaw. “Keeping him calm was impossible,” Haley admitted. “Cones didn’t stop him from trying backflips.”
A Triumphant Recovery
Six weeks later, Flabbergast is unrecognizable from the fragile kitten he once was. Now a “vivacious shoulder cat,” he sprints to his foster mom at the sound of her voice, purring against her cheek—though his feisty streak remains.
“His jaw is perfect, and he’s thriving,” Emilie said. “You’d never guess what he’s been through.”
Thanks to his rescuers’ dedication, Flabbergast—once wide-eyed with survival—now gazes at the world with confidence, ready for his forever home.
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