User submission

I Saved My Cat & Now She Saves Me Every Day (29 Pics)

Back in early 2016, I was desperate to get a cat. I wanted to ‘adopt, not shop,’ but it was not kitten season yet.

I was diagnosed with chronic illnesses and had to leave my job due to pain and stress. Life changed overnight, and it left me suffering really badly with depression.

My husband and I were looking on gumtree at adverts for kittens. We drove an hour away to this seller. We had to wash her in water when she got home: like 10 minutes before we picked her up, she jumped headfirst into a bowl of milk. That was when we first realized she was special.

She was said to be dewormed and deflead, but sadly it was not the case. Within two days of getting her, she was rushed to the vet’s dehydrated and underweight. Her belly was full of worms. The vets said she could be admitted to their emergency hospital. We had only just got her; we wanted to try bringing her to health before blowing hundreds of pounds, which we honestly could not afford.

She was too underweight to go on de-worming tablets, so I had to put her on a diet of boiled chicken and fish for weeks to bulk her up. It took months to get her healthy. Her first few months of life were just vet appointments every week and tablets being shoved down her throat every 6 hours. I was exhausted doing this.

Despite being very unwell and having diarrhea every day, she was very playful and cuddly. It was risky having her on the furniture and the bed with her stomach issues, but I could not resist those eyes. She was very needy and loved to snuggle up when sleepy or feeling a bit unwell.

She would have to have a shower at least once a week. She would sometimes get her backside covered in her own feces. Cats are supposed to clean themselves, but the amount she would get on her was awful; and with worms being in there, I did not want her to reingest them.

When she was finally well enough to be spayed, she got an infection at the surgery site and was ill for a month. Yet again, more medication had to be shoved down her throat, which she struggled taking. She would spit the tablets out when I was not looking.

Her first 7 months in life were rough, but she is a very healthy cat now and has no long-term health issues despite her bad start.

I have had pets before, but this bond I have with Cookie is unlike any other.

I have various chronic illnesses, and there have been times over the years where I have had to spend days bed-bound.

Cookie will literally spend the whole time on the bed with me, only getting up to eat and go to the toilet. She has been brilliant for my mental health.

Cookie lets me dress her up. I have bought a few dog outfits for her and have been able to get some brilliant pictures. I can even put necklaces on her, and she will not put up a fuss or go to attack them.

She gets presents (and sometimes a balloon) for her birthday and Christmas every year. She gets spoilt with new beds and blankets but always finds her way back to our bed.

I do slightly regret not holding out until a kitten had become available at a rescue place. Online sellers these days do not always take care of the kittens like they say they do. There are many loving, beautiful cats out there at rescue shelters waiting for a forever home.

Whilst I went against my beliefs in desperate times, I feel if I had not have gotten Cookie, she might not have made it. The vets were very concerned about her when they first met her, but I was able to nurse her to good health in the end.

She was born a month before I had a major breakdown, and I feel like maybe we were meant to find each other. We have saved each other.

Some people tell me that a cat is just a cat and cannot understand why I love her and treat her. Some say they can just be replaced when they die.

You cannot simply replace a pet you have loved. I believe that you can create a bond with any animal as long as you treat it with respect and love. Although you will never understand each other verbally, you can still have an incredible bond with an animal, and they all have their own personalities.

I have so many Cookie photos; I thought I would share just a few of her journey. Enjoy!

More info: Facebook