Rescue kitten Tater Tot becomes internet superstar while on road to recovery

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A stray Utah kitten with special needs has become the star of a Facebook group dedicated unamused cats - and is capturing hearts across the world.

Ash Houghton is Tater Tot's foster mom, and she said she had no idea how much attention he'd get when his photo was added to theTHIS CAT IS G R O M P Y page.

As of July 25, anyone visiting the group is greeted with a banner – complete with five photos of the disabled kitty – that reads: "Tater Tot and his Spudbuds" (which also happens to be the name of Tater Tot's own dedicated Facebook group, created after his debut as a social media superstar).

Houghton said it was a neighbor's dog that found the little kitten when he was just a day or two old.

Kitty CrusAIDe is a cat rescue in Salt Lake City that focuses on helping feral cats, including by spaying and neutering.

The rescuers knew Tater Tot's medical expenses were going to be a lot, so they held a fundraiser naming contest -- and that's where his name came from.

"In addition to his cleft palate, he was born with all four of his legs malformed," Houghton posted online. "The front legs were stuck at a downward 90-degree angle at the wrist and his back legs are completely curly. We are working with an orthopedic specialist."

Houghton hopes Tater Tot's story can help bring attention to the importance of adopting rescues with disabilities or special needs. She said sometimes it's hard to find them a forever home because of the time and money that may be required.

Since Houghton's first made a post about the kitten in the THIS CAT IS G R O M P Y Facebook group, the love and attention has grown on all major social media platforms, complete with memes, original artwork, and lots and lots of Photoshopped images of Tater and his two, now iconic, little kitty cat casts.

Houghton adds, "People just really took to him fast. They love his face, but there have also been people who have posted about how they've been going through hard times, and he's inspired them to keep going."

Adoption applications for the kitten are not being accepted right now, since he still has a long road ahead of him.

See the fully gallery of Tater Tot pics here.