One evening in rural Idaho, Annalise Burke and her mom noticed a stray cat wandering near their home. The sight was unusual — cats rarely showed up on their property. When they went searching the next morning, instead of finding the mother cat, they discovered two newborn kittens.
Tragically, one hadn’t survived, and the other was weak and sick. Unsure if the mom would return, the family took the kitten inside to keep her warm and fed. When the stray cat finally reappeared, they scooped her up along with her fragile baby and rushed them both to the local humane society.
Back home after the rescue, Burke and her mom suddenly heard faint cries coming from beneath their shed. Digging frantically, they uncovered another tiny kitten, half-buried in dirt and struggling to breathe.
“She had been alone under the shed for at least eight hours,” Burke told The Dodo. “Her face and mouth were packed with dirt. She was coughing and wheezing.”
The little fighter, later named Gemma, had even tried eating rocks and soil to survive. With local vets closed for the night, Burke and her mom stayed awake cleaning, feeding, and comforting her, desperate to keep her alive until morning.
At the vet the next day, the outlook was grim. Gemma’s chances were slim, and the family had already learned the other kitten they’d dropped at the humane society hadn’t made it. The vet asked if they wanted to let Gemma go peacefully.
“We cried and said our goodbyes,” Burke said. “But when my mom asked me to decide, I said I was going to try.”
Burke quit her summer job and devoted herself to Gemma’s care. For weeks, she provided round-the-clock feedings and monitored the kitten’s every breath.
Gemma scared them more than once by stopping breathing — but somehow, she pulled through.
By one month old, Gemma was thriving. She’s now 6 weeks old, eating wet food on her own (though she hasn’t quite figured out how to drink water properly — preferring to dunk her face and lick it off). What she loves most, though, is curling up in Burke’s arms.
“Gemma truly had an extreme will to live,” Burke said. “It was worth putting my life on hold for her. She is truly an angel.”
Today, the kitten who once ate dirt just to survive is healthy, happy, and cherished — living proof of the power of love and second chances.
You can follow Gemma on her Instagram account.
