When we think of cats, most of us have these vivid images of those super cute animals that are well-taken care of and who live happy lives being spoiled and loved by their families. Usually, this association comes from the fact that most of us have either had our own pets or seen others' (friends, family members, etc.) doing a good job taking care of them. However, for some animals, that’s something that does not come easily, as nowadays we have a lot of animals, especially cats and dogs that are either born or left on the streets to fend for themselves.
However, we also know that there are a lot of wonderful people who take care of stray, abandoned animals no matter the struggles that come with it. They only have one single purpose in mind: to grant them a better life that will hopefully lead them to fully recover and find a loving home where they can stay for the rest of their lives.
Among those wonderful people are the staff and foster volunteers of Best Friends Felines, a rescue for cats and kittens all over Brisbane and coastal areas. Recently, Bored Panda reached out to the rescue to find out about the story of one particular kitten named Lulu.
Recently, an an extremely malnourished kitten named Lulu was found and brought to a local vet hoping to get a second chance at life
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
"A local vet nurse contacted me about a kitten in need of rescue after being surrendered to her clinic by her owners to be put to sleep. She arrived with all her siblings who were all deceased," Kiki, of Best Friends Felines shared with Bored Panda.
"Lulu was riddled with fleas, loaded with hookworm, totally emaciated, and mostly bald as the babies were so hungry they ate each other’s fur to try and get some nutrition and sustenance into them"
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
"Lulu was incredibly emaciated and her odds of surviving were not great as her organs had taken a beating being so starved, not to mention the flea and worm burden"
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
"Then compare it to a photo of her eating at the food bowl showing how gaunt she is, with her spine and every bone protruding quite obviously. Lulu weighed less than 300 grams. She was about half the body weight she should be for her age and in a kitten, that’s massive.
Arriving at my home and seeing the tiny and fragile shell the vet nurse lifted out of the carrier just broke my heart as she was so failed by her owners to allow her to get to this state. She was tiny but mighty with such a will to fight to live."
"Lulu was one of those kittens that captured your heart instantly, not just because of her condition, but because she has the biggest personality, boldly confident and super outgoing"
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
"She was never ashamed to yell for your attention and demand cuddles! She adored everyone she met, from humans to other cats and dogs"
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
"Lulu started to improve as soon as the flea and worm burden was under control"
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
"She started to gain weight and her fur started to grow back. She moved to another of our foster carers who have a single kitten, Peach, who came in much like Lulu in body condition, and the two girls hit it off immediately"
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
"It was almost a tear-worthy moment to see these two babies so failed by humans, the same age and so depleted from their start to life as they ran and greeted each other like long-lost friends and immediately started bopping each other and wrestling."
"Lulu was in care for many months to recover from her rough start to life, but eventually, she was able to get her vet work done and go up for adoption"
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
"She captured the heart of Reece (her current owner) and quickly found her forever human"
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
Given the care the kitten received, it wasn't surprising that as soon as Lulu got bigger, her energy levels climbed and her true personality shined through as well. In no time, Lulu seemed to turn into a full-time purr machine and insisted on soaking up all the love and attention from everyone around her, especially her new owner Reece, that took in the kitten after Lulu (now Ciri) went through a full rehabilitation.
Lulu, now Ciri, is doing wonderfully as an adult kitty, fully recovered from her start to life
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines
Image credits: bestfriendsfelines