Chance the cat earned his name after he was given a second chance at life. Now, he uses his inspirational story to help other animals get their second chances, too!
The 3-year-old kitty was at a shelter, and his paralyzed hind legs quickly put him at the top of the kill list. Thankfully, Dee Najera saw a spunk in him that let her know he still had a lot of life to live.
“I saw a Facebook post from a volunteer at Genesee County Shelter which was at that time a very high kill shelter. She was asking for help for a cat that she had pulled to place in a barn situation, as they thought he was feral because he was very hissy and non-friendly at the shelter,” Najera explained to iHeartCats.
“Once she had him at her home awaiting placement, she noticed he was having trouble walking, and within a day he was rear paralyzed.”
After a few days, the volunteer watched as the kitty begin to warm up, and the thought of having to euthanize him broke her heart. She continued her search for his forever home… and that’s when Najera stepped in.
“I called Diana Rascano of 4 Paws 1 Heart and she said if I was willing to foster, 4 Paws was willing to have him seen by their vet,” Najera told iHeartCats. “Well, he saw four vets and they all said the same thing: they couldn’t find what was wrong, he’d never have a quality of life and I should seriously consider euthanasia.”
Still, the cat-mom refused to give up on the kitty who was still so full of life.
“He had such spirit and he had such determination, and he got around. He pulled himself all around and was very loving, very purring,” she said in an interview by Click On Detroit. “Aside from the fact that he couldn’t walk in his back legs, he was in perfect health.”
Then finally, there was a glimmer of hope. Rascano referred Chance to Dr. Teri Kern of Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation and Therapy for Pets, who’d worked with 4 Paws 1 Heart before. At his examination, they determined that the kitty had feeling in his hind legs; there was a possibility that one day, he’d walk again. That was all that Najera and Rascano needed to hear in order to keep on fighting for the paralyzed cat.
Najera has since adopted the unstoppable feline. With his new forever human, Chance completed extensive physical therapy and holistic treatments – all while having fun, of course. Najera explained that during all his exercises, her kitty got plenty of praise on treats. He just thought they were playing!
Unfortunately, giving animals a second “chance” with rehab can be quite pricey. But but with donations gifted from 4 Paws 1 Heart, Chance’s recovery was funded. What’s more, his inspirational story has brought more awareness to the group.
According to Click On Detroit, “4 Paws 1 Heart has raised and spent close to $500,000 on vet care for 4000 animals in need.” That’s pretty impressive!
In addition, Chance is “in charge” of a program called KittysHelpingKittys, where donators can go to his Amazon wish list and purchase items. They supplies are then donated to feral caretakers, feral colony caretakers, and senior citizens who need help feeding their pets.
Now 5-years-old, the gray and white kitty is enjoying his second chance at life and at walking. He loves to play, sleep with his human, and is the first to greet any new foster kitties that come home!
It looks like all their hard work has paid off, not just for this inspirational kitty, but also for countless others!
Watch a news story on Chance below … and look at him go!
What an amazing story! Chance and his human are quite the inspiration for families with special needs pets.
If you’d like to donate to 4 Paws 1 Heart, visit their website or Facebook page. Check out the KittysHelpingKittys Amazon wish list here. And you can also keep up with Chance and friends on his Facebook Page.
(h/t: Click On Detroit)