Virginia – When she first saw "Silver Stub" the teeny tiny cat, it was immediately clear that the animal wasn’t as young as she looks. Can veterinary assistant Ellen Carozzo find out what's going on with her?

The animal had been placed with Carozzo for foster care by the Prince William County Animal Shelter in Northern Virginia.

There, staff had suspected that Silver Stub suffered from a thyroid disorder.

But a blood test revealed a completely different picture – something far rarer.

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According to Love Meow, Silver Stub has been diagnosed with the rare condition pituitary dwarfism. This disorder is so uncommon in cats that few veterinarians ever encounter it.

The disorder results in insufficient production of growth hormone, causing the cats to look like kittens even in adulthood.

On Instagram, Carozza vowed to write and publish a medical report so that veterinarians worldwide can learn from Silver Stub's story and continue to help rare cases like hers in the future.

The vet worker also called for donations of $10,000 to fund hormone therapy for Silver Stub.

After that, the animal lover only had to wait a few weeks until enough money was available to give the little cat a chance to grow bigger.

Carozza recently announced that the cat is beginning growth hormone therapy.

Whether the treatment will work or not will become clear in the coming weeks.

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If it doesn’t succeed, though, the cat likely won't mind.

She's living a full and joyful life regardless of her medical issues!

According to her foster mama, the kitty is doing fine with her small size and gets along well with the other cats.