A Tennessee shelter recently welcomed a special little feline with one heck of a unique feature. Audio, an orange tabby kitten, arrived at True Rescue in Mount Juliet, Tenn., along with three siblings, after being found abandoned in a box. But it was Audio’s unusual appearance that immediately caught everyone’s attention – and helped the shelter gain help after recent flood damage.
Kristin Condite, True Rescue’s director of operations, recalled the moment the staff noticed something different about Audio. “Whenever we took him out of his carrier, my counterpart said, ‘What’s on his ear?’ And when we looked closer, it appears as if Audio has actually four ears on his head,” she shared. Audio’s extra set of smaller ears are located inside his larger, more prominent ears.
Audio the four-eared kitten at True Rescue. Photo courtesy of True Rescue
This rare genetic mutation, while abnormal, doesn’t seem to cause him any health issues. As the rescue quipped on Facebook, Audio is “simply ear-resistible.” Audio’s arrival couldn’t have been better for the shelter. True Rescue had recently dealt with significant flooding due to drainage and foundation issues during the early part of summer.
This put a strain on the shelter’s resources, slowing down adoptions and making the day-to-day operations more challenging. However, Audio’s unique charm has provided a welcome distraction and a bit of joy amid the chaos.
The local community has rallied around True Rescue, helping with the shelter’s challenges. Donations have poured in, making sure that the shelter is well-stocked with food, and many have stepped up to foster kittens, which is particularly important during the busy kitten season.
The shelter needs 150 to 200 adoptions each month to keep up with the influx of cats, and recent floods had put them behind. But thanks to the generosity of animal lovers and the extra attention Audio has brought to the rescue, the shelter is slowly getting back on its feet.
We’ll go through (the food) very quickly, but it’s nice to see a few full shelves. That’s pretty rare this time of year,” said Condite.
As for Audio, he’s still too young to be adopted and is undergoing regular veterinary checks to ensure his extra ears won’t cause him any harm. For now, the plan is to leave them as they are unless they start to affect his health. Meanwhile, Audio is making the most of his time at True Rescue, bringing smiles to everyone he meets.
A staff member vacuums up the flood water that has overtaken much of the floor inside True Rescue. Photo courtesy of True Rescue
True Rescue said that Audio is around 8 weeks old, weighs 2 pounds. “We will have him fully checked by a vet, but from what we know, the inner ear is completely normal and will cause no issues, other than having extra flaps to clean!” the rescue added in its post.
“For Audio to come at this time…it really does feel like a good luck charm,” Condite said, reflecting on the little kitten’s positive impact on the shelter during a challenging time. Although Audio isn’t ready for adoption yet, he’s already won over the hearts of the staff and the community.
