A woman who saved a kitten tossed out of a car window in a trash bag had no idea what would happen next.
Melody Parson (@melodyandjiggy), 29, was working at an animal hospital in November 2019 and received a FaceTime call from a good friend and coworker. Traffic had come to a stop on the interstate because someone had thrown a kitten onto the road. The kitten, now named Jiggy, was seizing and bleeding from the nose.
"Delilah asked if she could bring her to our hospital and if I'd pay for the care. Our hospital was pretty strict about not doing any good samaritan services, but Delilah knew I'd help any cat in need.
"She brought Jiggy over and it was love at first sight. I knew she was going to be mine forever. The doctor told me to keep a close eye on her because she might not make it through the night. Jiggy surprised everyone by surviving as long as she has despite all her ailments," she told Newsweek.
Indeed, Jiggy, as the kitten came to be known, beat the odds that night and every day since.
A video shared to Instagram by Parson revealed that after Jiggy's surprise arrival into her life, would come yet another twist: the kitten never grew in size due to dwarfism. "I didn't know it yet but the kitten I rescued after she was thrown out of a car in a garbage bag was going to stay this size forever," the overlay text reads on the post which had received over 114,000 likes at the time of writing.
Now five years old, Jiggy's birthday is celebrated on Halloween—chosen for fun, since she was rescued in early November. "Her pint sized body packs a terrible diva attitude," Parson added.
Jiggy is known to yell to be let under the covers for a cuddle and growls at her feline sisters if they even look in her direction. "Everyone loves hearing her crispy little meows," she said.
Jiggy's development was different from the start. She didn't run or jump like a typical kitten, instead shimmying around. At four months old, she was significantly underweight and missing teeth, prompting a neurologist consult. The theory was that the trauma from being thrown from a moving car impacted her pituitary gland, stunting her growth.
Because Jiggy reacted poorly to anesthesia during her spay, doctors avoided further procedures like an MRI. Despite the lack of neurological symptoms beyond her small size and mobility issues, her condition has required careful monitoring. "She's never been able to jump like a normal cat, and she never will," her owner explained, noting that ramps and stairs help Jiggy stay mobile.
She's also had arthritis since the age of one and receives injections and supplements for the pain. Her dwarfism caused a kidney deformity, and she's been in kidney failure for most of her life. "This is especially hard to deal with since she has a disdain for wet food," she said. Despite that, her kidney values are monitored closely and have steadily improved with a special diet and treatment.
"I truly believe that Jiggy and I share a special bond," she said. "Sometimes I think that our love keeps her alive despite all odds being stacked against her. I am so grateful for all of the time I've gotten to share with her, and I hope we can have many more years together."
Support for Jiggy poured in from Instagram followers. "I'm so glad baby Jiggy is with someone who loves her as much as she loves you," one commenter wrote. Another added, "She's so lucky to have you. Whoever did that to her has no heart or soul to say the least. She's the most precious baby to walk the planet."
Another user summed it up: "How anyone could do that to any animal is beyond me. It makes me so upset. I'm happy miss Jiggy found you."
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