Life is hard for a stray kitty. Just ask BenBen, a tomcat from British Columbia. Before he arrived at the BCSPCA he suffered a crushed spine, several deep wounds and a cauliflower ear from years of untreated infections.
After deeming the disabled cat unadoptable, the shelter made the heartbreaking decision to euthanize BenBen. The sad-faced kitty seemed to know his tragic fate was approaching. That’s when fate stepped in.
An emergency veterinary technician and her boyfriend caught wind of BenBen’s situation and just knew that they had to help him. She told Love Meow that BenBen’s adoption was arranged just one day before he was scheduled to be euthanized.
Instead of ending in a lonely cage, BenBen’s story was just about to begin, thanks to his rescuers! At first the couple was concerned about how BenBen would adjust. At the shelter he had been depressed, refusing to eat or drink.
In order to give him time to adapt, the couple sequestered BenBen in a bathroom. They sat with him and gently reassured him that he was safe. Within an hour, the once despondent cat was purring, head butting and nuzzling his saviors.
After that, BenBen was ready to take on the rest of the house and the world! He adjusted to his new kitty siblings and mastered his surroundings. Although veterinarians had said he would never walk again, BenBen proved them wrong. He walks, runs, plays and even jumps short distances despite his disability.
Nine months after his rescue, BenBen is hardly recognizable as the melancholy stray he once was. He will always have a sad-looking face, but he seems to know that he has been given a second chance.
Every day BenBen delights his Facebook and Instagram followers with photos and videos of his antics. From enthusiastically playing with his huge supply of kitty toys to “supervising” his humans’ mealtimes, BenBen has blossomed into a joyful, well-loved pet.
BenBen is proof that beauty runs far deep! His parents took a chance on a cat no one else wanted and they are certainly glad they did!
H/T to Love Meow