Tiny but Mighty

Kitten Lady's Guide to Saving the Most Vulnerable Felines

By: Hannah Shaw

Narrated by: Hannah Shaw

From Kitten Lady, the professional kitten rescuer, humane educator, animal advocate, and owner of the popular Instagram @kittenxlady comes the definitive book on saving the most vulnerable--and adorable--feline population: newborn kittens.

Hannah Shaw, better known as Kitten Lady, has dedicated her life to saving the tiniest felines, but one doesn’t have to be a professional kitten rescuer to change--and save--lives. In Tiny but Mighty, Hannah not only outlines the dangers newborn kittens face and how she combats them, but how you can help every step of the way, from fighting feline overpopulation on the streets to fostering unweaned kittens, from combating illness to combating compassion fatigue, from finding a vet to finding the purrfect forever home. Filled with information on animal welfare, instructional guides, and personal rescue stories of kittens like Chloe, Tidbit, Hank, and Badger, Tiny but Mighty is the must-have kitten book for cat lovers, current-and-future rescuers, foster parents, activists, and advocates.

Includes a PDF of tables and charts for kitten care and instructions on how to make a cute hat for a kitten.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Hannah Shaw (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“In this how-to guide (with plenty of heart-melty photos) for fostering newborn cats, Shaw addresses every concern.... The physical and emotional commitment to fostering kittens is no joke...but Shaw clearly shows it’s a rewarding journey to take.” (Bust Magazine)

“If you have a kitten in your life, plan on adopting one (or two!), or want to know how we can best ensure a safe future for the millions born homeless, Hannah Shaw is, without a doubt, the person I trust to carry the message. Hannah has the know-how, and backs it up with years of invaluable service in the world of animal welfare. That is what makes her new book so exciting: Tiny But Mighty is the definitive resource, written by the ultimate source, and wrapped in a stunningly beautiful package that makes it a must-have for anyone who cares for - or about - the most vulnerable of all cats.” (Jackson Galaxy, Cat Expert and Author of Total Cat Mojo)

“[N]ot only an outstanding kitten care guide, but also a gorgeous book that will be a go to when you just need a little kitten fix in your day.” (Ingrid King, ConsciousCat.net)

Hannah ROCKS!!!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. Hannah does a fantastic job bringing her book to life and getting her point across. It was very informative and left me feeling like I too can help out kitties in my community and beyond.
You are an amazing human being, Hannah. Thank you for the inspiration.

Best cat book EVER!

I've read a LOT of cat books and when I saw that Hanna Shaw had written one I had to have it. I have followed her on YouTube and used numerous tips and procedures to help with my own foster efforts.
The thing about this book is that it is not just for people wanting to work with neonates and new kittens but for everyone who loves cats in every form. It is above all a book about hope and an enthusiastic inspiration for anyone wanting to change the way the world views cats as disposable or worse. It presents ideas for solutions as well as detailed facts for fostering or caring for the tinies. Thank you Hanna for sharing your heart with us.

a must for anyone in cat rescue, or who helps cat

I'm a little teary writing this after Chloe's story, but this is an uplifting, hopeful, and wonderful guide to helping cats and kittens.

Hannah's warm and compassionate voice just flows with love for her tiny fosters. 10/10, highly reccommend

Helpful for Pet Fosters

I love Kitten Lady! I pre ordered after hearing she had a book coming out. Very informative. I’ll be referring to this book when I’m able to foster kittens and cats in the future.

Great read

5 stars! It is great for cat lovers or those who are involved in cat rescue.

The book I wish I had a long, long time ago

Kitten Lady is the super hero we didn’t know we needed. She is smart, strong-willed, and directly honest. Most importantly, while animal rescue requires an exceptionally thick skin, you can still feel the compassion that drives her shine through in story after story.

Tiny But Mighty is part text book, part comedy, part drama, and part self-help book. Hannah leads her reader on a purrfectly executed journey from what inspired her to start hiding kittens in her coat to how she began challenging industry standards that limited the scope of support offered to kittens under 8 weeks of age. She expertly coaches readers to find in their own hearts what drives them to get up in the morning, while emphasizing the importance of balance and self-care.

Artfully sandwiched between sweet anecdotes of cats she rescued and adorable photos of kittens in construction paper regal-wear, are pro-tips, charts and tables filled with mission critical data that can help a panicked foster-parent save a crashing kitten in the middle of the night. You don’t even realize you’re in kitten kindergarten until after you’ve already been hypnotized by Andrew Martilla’s photography.

If you’ve ever been caring for a litter of screaming neonates and ugly cried because you couldn’t get them to take a nipple, this book is for you. If you’ve never seen a kitten that small in real life but might want to give it a try, this book is for you. If you’re a little squeamish and not sure you can handle the emotional aspects of rescuing this vulnerable pocket panther population, this book is for you more than anyone else.

In typical Kitten Lady fashion, she presents an iron-clad case as to why you, reader, whoever you may be, can help. She recounts her experiences with real people she’s encountered on the road, highlighting those who stepped up when they never could have even imagined doing so. She turns tragedy into treasure for every desperate plea. She even celebrates animal shelters, uncovering why “no-kill” doesn’t mean what you think it does, and how supporting open admission shelters will get us on the fast track to actually reducing euthanasia around the world.

While nearly every story has a happy ending, Hannah shares her own trials, experiments, mistakes and traumas so that we won’t have to. She aims to be at the forefront of kitten care, pulling the blinds back on the stigma that little bodies shouldn’t receive medical treatment because the risk is too high. Old school veterinary thought is a thing of the past, and Hannah is going to make darn sure of it.

She gives feral felines a voice, reminding us that just because we don’t always see them, or they hiss and bite when we do, doesn’t mean they aren’t happy in their outdoor oasis and worthy of being protected. Every reference to a kitten is with “he” or “she” never “it” or “they”. She emphasizes how we can bypass historical judgements of what was previously considered acceptable, lead with compassion and redistribute resources to the places that need them most. She even talks about legislative and data driven challenges that can make it impossible to even report how badly our community shelters and street cats need our support.

You will laugh and you will cry, often within the same sentence. Especially if you have the audio book. Hannah telling her own stories is unlike any other self-narrated audio book I’ve ever listened to, because you can tell she wrote every single word of it. She reads with care but it doesn’t sound scripted. She’s as silly as she is in her videos; every paragraph littered with puns (get it? littered?), but it’s said as if she just came up with it, right now in this moment. It’s genuine and pure, not a hint of irony or mass produced editing.

You can hear the nostalgia in her voice as she recalls her adventures with Hank, Badger, Chloe and so many more of her famously rescued babies. When she’s sad or discouraged you can feel it, but it’s empowering. It quickly turns to outrage with a specific call to action. Hannah can be a very convincing sales person, and she will have you at the bottom of a kitten pile in no time.

There is only one piece of critical constructive criticism for this audiobook, and it’s that it doesn’t include a discography of Hannah’s greatest original hits like the “No Balls” song and the “Kitten Lady rap compilation”. If you haven’t heard them, stop what you’re doing and go to YouTube post haste.

TLDR: this book is witty, fun, thought provoking and educational. Supporting local animal shelters and TNR is good, not downloading would be regretful. If you’re smart, you will buy a copy of this book in three formats - one audio version to hear the heart in it, one searchable download for your phone in an emergency, and one hardcover copy to sit on your coffee table for perusing kitten photos while you snuggle your own fur family.

Listen up to save some babies!

I didn't want it to end!

I loved your book so much! A great read for any type of animal lover!

A heartfelt guide

Hannah has a gorgeous voice. In each chapter you can hear the love and dedication. And the individual kitten stories are easily tear-jerking. The dedication alone is worth a listen, even if you're not planning on fostering any kittens.

Must read!

Must read, Hannah is extremely knowledgeable, passionate and funny and it all translates perfectly in this book!

So funny but informative

I wish I had this book when i first started fostering 11 years ago. Hannah has a very warm, friendly personality. She has tons of great advise and information on kittens. She keeps things real but does it in a way that shows just how easy it can be to save a life. Her little foster kittens were there during the recording sessions and they make a cute little cameo.

Hannah's voice is very calming and easy to listen to. I was laughing out loud at some of her stories, especially her baby Earthworm story.

Anyone who rescues kittens, loves kittens or just wants to listen to calm, soothing voice, should give this book a try.