Hey there. It’s CAT Stanley. Last week, I shared my own rescue story with you. Today, I’d like to tell you about Lilly. Lilly is a pretty special cat. I think you’ll agree after you hear her story.
Lilly was only about 8 weeks old when she was brought to a veterinary hospital in Rhode Island by two people who had found her on the sidewalk near their home. She was a small ball of fur that had been attacked by a dog.
At the time, Lilly had no owner. She was scared, bleeding and in pain. During the attack, she had lost part of her right front leg, several toes from her left front leg and part of her tail. She was in shock from her injuries and, at first, it wasn’t even clear whether she would survive.
Despite her injuries, one thing about Lilly was clear. She had a strong desire to live. The staff at the animal hospital saw that and decided to give her a chance. They worked to stabilize her, amputating what remained of her mangled front leg and the damaged portion of her tail. They also repaired her injured toes, leaving her essentially without claws on her remaining front leg.
In addition to her other injuries, Lilly also suffered nerve damage to her left front leg, leaving her with only the ability to drag the foot rather than being able to walk normally on it. For the first few weeks after Lilly’s surgery, it wasn’t known whether the nerve damage would repair itself. The hospital staff knew that if the damage did not heal, Lilly would likely have to be euthanized even after everything she had been through.
It took months for Lilly to recover fully and the process was slow. But recover she did. Luckily, the nerve damage to her remaining front leg healed and she regained the ability to use the leg normally. Lilly now leads a comfortable and very normal life with one of the veterinarians who tended to her injuries.
Even with three legs, Lilly is graceful on her feet. There is very little she cannot do. She runs, jumps and plays very much like any other cat. She’s also a very loving and extremely trusting cat though she is shy around strangers until she gets to know them and loud sounds frighten her momentarily.
Lilly and I are two examples of special needs cats that, when adopted, have made wonderful pets. There are many others in shelters and rescue groups nationwide that are waiting and hoping to find a loving home. A special needs cat may be a previously injured cat, like me and Lilly, a cat that cannot see or cannot hear, or simply an older cat. Whatever the situation, cats like us make great pets but it takes a special owner to choose to adopt a cat like us. How special are you?
