Most of us have vivid pictures of very cute creatures that are well-cared for and spend happy lives being indulged and loved by their family when we think of cats.
This relationship is usually based on the fact that most of us have either owned pets or witnessed others (friends, family members, etc.) take good care of them. However, for certain animals, this is not an easy task, since we now have a large number of animals, particularly cats and dogs, who are either born or abandoned on the streets to fend for themselves.
However, we also know that there are many excellent people who, despite the difficulties, care for stray and abandoned animals.
They just have one goal in mind: to provide them with a better life, one that will ideally lead to them fully recovering and finding a loving home where they may live out their days.
The staff and foster volunteers of Best Friends Felines, a rescue for cats and kittens in Brisbane and the surrounding areas, are among those amazing individuals. Bored Panda contacted the rescue recently to learn more about the story of one specific kitten named Lulu.
Lulu, a very starved kitten, was recently discovered and taken to a local veterinarian in the hopes of receiving a second shot at life.
“After being surrendered to her clinic by her owners to be put to death, a local vet nurse called me about a kitten in need of rescue.” “She came with all of her siblings, all of them were deceased,” Kiki of Best Friends Felines told Bored Panda.
“Lulu was flea-infested, hookworm-infested, malnourished, and mostly bald because the babies were so hungry that they ate each other’s fur to try and obtain some nutrients,” says the author.
“After being surrendered to her clinic by her owners to be put to death, a local vet nurse called me about a kitten in need of rescue.” “She came with all of her siblings, all of them were deceased,” Kiki of Best Friends Felines told Bored Panda.
“Lulu was flea-infested, hookworm-infested, malnourished, and mostly bald because the babies were so hungry that they ate each other’s fur to try and obtain some nutrients,” says the author.
“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”
“Compare that to a shot of her eating at the food bowl, which clearly shows how thin she is, with her spine and every bone protruding.” Lulu was only about 300 grams. She was around half the weight she should have been for her age, which is enormous in a kitten.
Arriving to my house and seeing the little and delicate shell that the vet nurse removed out of the container broke my heart since she had been abandoned by her owners to reach to this point. She was little yet mighty, with a strong want to live.”
“Lulu was one of those cats that quickly captivated your heart, not only because of her condition, but also because she has the largest personality, unabashedly confident and gregarious.”
“She was never afraid to seek cuddles and cry for your attention!” From people to other cats and dogs, she enjoyed everyone she encountered.”
“She soon won Reece’s (her current owner’s) heart and found her forever human.”
Given the love and attention she received as a kitten, it’s no surprise that as she grew older, Lulu’s activity levels increased and her true personality emerged. Lulu seemed to transform into a full-time purr machine in no time, insisting on soaking up all the love and attention from everyone around her, especially her new owner Reece, who adopted the kitten after Lulu (now Ciri) had had extensive rehabilitation.
Lulu, now Ciri, is thriving as an adult cat, having fully recovered from her traumatic start in life.