When a fluffy white kitten arrived at his foster home alongside his brother, he had already been hiding a quarter of his body weight, waiting for someone to notice. Franks and TobascoCredit: New Kittens on the Block!Originally from Humane Society for Hamilton County, Franks and Tobasco came to foster care with Jennifer of New Kittens on the Block (located in Indianapolis, IN). The two brothers seemed ready for a few easy weeks of socializing before finding their forever homes. Franks was a shorthaired spitfire, hissing the moment anyone reached for him, then tearing around the pen like a maniac the instant he thought no one was watching.Tobasco was different from the start. He never hissed and never fought being handled, and his foster mom, Jennifer, assumed he was just the mellow one of the two.That mellow temperament turned out to be something else entirely. Franks and TobascoCredit: New Kittens on the Block!Underneath all that soft, thick fur, Tobasco was quietly fading. He barely touched his food, his energy dropped, and he began throwing up more than once.When Jennifer finally ran her hands through his coat, she felt what the fluff had been hiding all along. He was bony underneath, and a trip to the shelter confirmed just how serious it was. Tobasco Credit: New Kittens on the Block!In just two weeks since intake, Tobasco had lost a quarter of his body weight, more than half a pound gone from a frame that small. His coat had disguised the loss completely, and in a crowded shelter where staff and volunteers are stretched thin, a quiet kitten slowly fading can be nearly impossible to spot.In a foster home, someone noticed almost immediately, and once Jennifer noticed, she went to work. Tobasco received fluids, B12, and dewormer at the shelter, while Jennifer turned her own kitchen into a kitten cafe. FranksCredit: New Kittens on the Block!She offered prescription food for sensitive stomachs, then kibble made for babies, then salmon formulas of every kind, testing patiently to see what his fragile stomach could handle. Franks, meanwhile, was busy being Franks, hissing one moment and pouncing on toys the next.When Tobasco finally ate with enthusiasm, even growling at his brother to guard his dish, it felt like a small miracle. Credit: New Kittens on the Block!But recovery did not move in a straight line. Good days were followed by setbacks, and he would keep a meal down only to lose everything he had eaten hours later.Even on his worst days, Tobasco still climbed into Jennifer's lap for comfort, purring through the same stomach that kept betraying him. His fecal tests came back clear, which only deepened the mystery. Credit: New Kittens on the Block!Jennifer collected samples, made repeat trips to the shelter for fluids, and pulled a trick from a past foster case, raising his food bowl off the floor. At last, his meals began to stay down.Her best guess was that Tobasco had stopped eating during the stress of the shelter, and his small body was struggling to remember how to process food again. For all anyone knew, he had only ever nursed from his mother before landing there. Credit: New Kittens on the Block!Slowly, the dedication began to pay off. Tobasco started grooming himself again, his energy crept back day by day, and he discovered a favorite salmon wet food that he refused to trade for anything else.Jennifer happily obliged. As long as he was eating, he could have whatever he wanted. Credit: New Kittens on the Block!Then came the number that made the sleepless nights worth it. "Tobasco's weight is up to 29 ounces! Less than a week ago, he was under 24 ounces," Jennifer noted to LoveMeow. "He was skin and bones and very weak. Now he's starting to feel plump, he's playing with toys, and he's even battling it out with his brother."He was starting to feel plump for the first time, wrestling back whenever Franks came barreling at him instead of hiding from the chaos. Credit: New Kittens on the Block!Franks, meanwhile, had undergone a transformation of his own. The hissy wild child now welcomed cuddles, as long as they did not interfere with playtime.The two brothers spent their days chasing each other through the house and stealing each other's naps. "Note to self: Take away the packing paper overnight," Jennifer chuckled. "They woke me up about a dozen times in the middle of the night and the wee hours of the morning, dive-bombing the paper." Credit: New Kittens on the Block!Not long ago, Tobasco was too weak to finish a single meal. Today, he chases his brother through the house and guards his food bowl like his life depends on it, because for a little while, it truly did.Share this story with your friends. More on Franks, Tobasco, and Jennifer's fosters on Instagram @newkittensontheblock and Facebook. Follow Humane Society for Hamilton County on Instagram @hamiltonhumane and Facebook.Related Story: Kitten is Much Tinier Than Other Cats But Shows the Spirit of a Tiger, Months Later, She Truly Transforms