From Broken to Beloved: Tigger’s Journey to His Forever Home
Rescued, Recovered, and Ready to Love Again
Do you want to hear a rescue story?
Tigger was dropped off at the Humane Society with a blunt-force injury to the face. Little buddy was in bad shape and in a fair amount of pain. One of his eyes was enlarged. Their vet said they’d never seen anything like it.
They reached out to see if we'd take a medical case. Our shelters are overflowing across the country. If you’re in rescue, you know that any animal with a specialized medical need can’t be prioritized when so many are flooding in. That’s where local non-profit rescues like ours can help.
If you know me, you know that I can't resist a kitty with medical needs. So, we transferred him in and got him evaluated for surgery. We obviously can’t be sure of the cause, but the blunt-force trauma was likely human-related (I’ll leave it at that for our more squeamish/outraged readers). His poor little eye was a total loss, and his teeth were splintered and broken. It all needed to come out. Despite what he’d been through, Tigger came in with a big purr and loves to spare. He lit up the medical bay with his friendly, positive vibes.
We have amazing vets. They scheduled him for surgery right away and sent us home with pain meds to shore him up until his procedure. When I got him, they said he’d only eat dry food, but I was worried about kibble and his poor, broken teeth. Sure enough, the little guy carefully mouthed and swallowed each morsel. I was working to transition him to a softer, kinder wet food option, but I’m not sure he’d ever seen soft food. He was leery, but tuna eventually won him over (the great equalizer). The day of surgery finally arrived, and our veterinary partners took stellar care of him. He came through with flying colors, minus one eye and all but seven tiny teeth (adult cats are supposed to have 30, for those of you counting).
It was a long recovery, but Tig approached it with his trademark good cheer. His mouth healed, and he found a new love for wet food. Fast forward through three weeks of tender care, and this little bundle of love was ready for his forever home.
He’s one of those fosters who needs to be adopted quickly because he’s just a delight, and every day he stays, you get a little more attached. Lucky for me, he got a great application right away from a human who sounded like a perfect fit. They came to meet him, and it was love at first sight. Tig was sweet as maple candy but hesitant with new people. Not that day. He went straight to her and rubbed his face on her hand. I always look to the cat to see how they are feeling about their human suitor, and there was no doubt with this one. Tigger was smitten.
It's these stories that fill my heart. It was a joy to have you for a little while, Tig. You're going to be just fine, little buddy. We got you.
Love and whiskers,
Julie
Have you ever adopted an animal with medical needs? What drew you to them?
Such a heartwarming story, Julia
Aw, Tig. Good little buddy.