With millions and millions of pets getting adopted from rescues and shelters each year, you’d think that there wouldn’t be a single puppy or a kitty without a forever family. However, the reality’s a bit different.
Rescues and shelters are overrun with strays, kittens struggling to survive because they were rescued without the mother, and cats with diseases, deformities, and health problems that make them a burden to an average person.
Whether they were born with certain conditions or experienced some sort of trauma that caused them to become deaf, blind, or paralyzed, there’s a myriad of precious pets waiting for a miracle, a person that can see beyond the amputated leg, the stuffy nose, or the crusty eyes.
We’re saddened to witness rescues and shelters getting to a point where they’re forced to choose between closing their doors or putting down their protégés.
Without enough space for them to stay at a shelter or a rescue, enough volunteers and fosters to take them home, and enough people applying to adopt them, most kittens and cats that require someone to watch over them end up getting terminated.
While we understand that “challenged” cats require 24/7 care not everyone’s able to provide them with, we wonder whether there’s something we’re overlooking.
Why wouldn’t someone want to become a parent to a curious creature that can’t stop showing affection by snuggling, purring, and meowing? Why wouldn’t someone want to shower a beautiful beast with affection and attention?
Or, why wouldn’t someone want to share a cup of coffee and a Puppuccino with a cutie patootie that’s more than grateful for the opportunity?
Special people adopt special pets, that’s for sure. Sampson, a neurologic cat rescued off the street, hoped he’d end up meeting a special family that wouldn’t mind the fact that he needed help with eating and going potty.
Jessica Thompson, a foster volunteer at Northwest Animal Companions, took to Instagram to share news about her newest rescue kitten, Sampson.
Sampson was rescued from eastern Oregon and brought to Jessica to figure out what was wrong with him. He couldn’t walk, he needed help with eating, and he couldn’t use the litter box. He had some sort of neurological disorder, but nobody was sure of the exact reason why he was the way he was.
He was the sweetest kitten, but he was deemed a burden because he needed 24/7 care.
Jessica and the rest of the Norwest Animal Companions staff were determined to figure out a way to ensure Sampson lives a happy and healthy life despite the neurological disorder.
Jessica ensured her followers that she was focused on keeping Sampson safe and secure for the time being, but that she was going to do her best to provide Sampson with everything he needed to get better. She wasn’t sure whether that was possible, but she knew she needed to try her hardest.
When Sampson came to Jessica’s home, he was weak, beaten down, and depressed.
With Jessica’s care, he grew bigger and stronger. He started doing regular exercises, taking medication, and undergoing numerous treatments. He couldn’t walk, but he was getting slightly better at doing everyday things without Jessica’s help – he was going potty, eating, and playing without her help.
She watched every move he made, encouraged every task he was trying to tackle, and cheered every time he succeeded. She was obsessed with how determined, brave, and strong he was.
Within the following few weeks, he managed to get up without Jessica’s help. She typically had to scoop him off the ground, prop him up, and make sure he wasn’t wobbling left and right.
He was getting bigger and stronger with each day and that’s why he was able to stand on his own. He was becoming more friendly and playful, too, because he knew he could play with cats and kittens without Jessica’s help.
Jessica took to Instagram to share an update regarding Sampson’s neurological disorder – she was happy with the progress the two of them made, but she wanted to come clean about the fact that Sampson wasn’t going to be able to walk.
Sampson was a fighter, and she managed to teach him to move and control his motions. She couldn’t, however, change the fact that he wasn’t able to walk.
She consulted with a neurologist, and she was comforted by the fact that Sampson could have a happy and healthy life even though he wasn’t able to walk. She decided to keep working with Sampson and hope for the best.
Sampson was neutered, too, but she wasn’t sure whether she was ready to part ways. He was the sweetest kitten ever, but she didn’t want to worry whether he was getting the care he needed.
Sampson hasn’t been adopted (yet), but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the little fighter finds a forever family that’s going to spoil him the way he deserves to be spoiled. Go, Sampson!
