Hopeless Cat Rejected by Owners – Rescued by Woman Who Saw His True Beauty

Sharing is caring!

On September day in Palm Beach, Florida, a man stepped outside to feed his cat.

Right before he stepped back inside, an unfamiliar cat made its way to the food bowl and began scarfing down the food. 

The man was shocked by the condition of the cat. It was starving, its eyes were glued shut, and its fur was hard and crusty.

The poor cat was stumbling around blindly searching for food.

Knowing this cat was in terrible pain, he knew he had to do something.

Keep reading to see how this sickly cat made a miraculous transformation!

A Shocking Discovery

When a man found a cat with a bad case of mange eating out of his cat’s food bowl, he knew he might be the cat’s only chance to survive.

He immediately went inside and grabbed a carrier and coaxed the cat inside it with some food.

It was clear that the kitty not only had terrible mange, but was also starving and severely malnourished. 

This poor cat was blinded by the mange glueing his eyes shut.

He was afraid to leave the cat in his home for long because he didn’t want the mange to infect himself or his own pets.

He went online and and started asking around for help.

One Facebook user saw the post and notified her friend, Carmen, founder of the Animal Friends Project who had experience rehabilitating cats with severe mange.

Cleaning Up

Carmen showed up at the man’s house early the next morning.

She could tell he needed some serious TLC.

Under all the rough edges, she knew there was a beautiful, sweet, and loving cat.

“I took him to the vet, and he was very friendly.” Carmen shared with National Kitty. “He was purring the whole time during the examination.”

As they looked at him, they realized the mange was so bad it had caused his eyes to be completely crusted shut.

However, he didn’t need to see to know that he was in good hands!

Carmen and the vet staff were very cautious and gentle around him.

He could feel their love with every tender touch.

After the vet visit, Carmen took him home and set him up in his own private room while he recovered from the mange.

While he was now safe, he still had a ways to go.

Carmen was exactly who this cat needed by his side. She was kind, loving, and patient.

She would stop at nothing to see him thrive!

“He was in really bad condition.” Carmen said. “He hadn’t eaten for a long time and you could just see his bones, and his eyes were completely closed.”

With experience on her side, Carmen knew she’d be able to get him back to health in no time.

This sweet cat had never known the loving touch of a human, yet he trusted Carmen to help him.

A Troubled Past

Carmen soon realized that this cat was microchipped.

She managed to get in contact with the previous owner.

Apparently, he was an outdoor cat who had gotten lost after his previous owner had moved to a new house.

However, it had been so long ago that the owner had gotten more cats and had no room for their sweet former kitty. 

Carmen gladly agreed to foster him.

The Road to Recovery

With plenty of love and consistent treatment, the sweet boy started to heal.

His crusted, mangy fur transitioned into a smooth, white coat.

In fact, Carmen named him Cotton because of the beautiful white fur that started to peak through his mange.

Soon, Cotton was able to open his eyes and take a first look at his rescuer.

When Cotton finally revealed his eyes, Carmen was stunned.

Cotton had two different colored eyes!

She was taken aback by how beautiful his eyes were. He was absolutely gorgeous.

In addition to his sweet, loving personality, his eyes him even more special!

Happily Ever After

Soon it was time to find Cotton a forever home. However, Carmen started to have second thoughts.

Carmen decided that it wouldn’t be fair for 6 year old Cotton move to a new home yet again after having been through so much.

He loved and trusted Carmen. She was his hero.

It would break his heart if he was separated from the only person who made him feel cared for.

The decision was clear– Carmen would him herself! Cotton was right where he belonged.

While he had gained weight, he kept his huge appetite and wasn’t shy letting Carmen know when he was hungry.

Cotton was extremely attached to Carmen.

He knew he was safe in her arms.

“Earlier on, he would follow me everywhere, and if I went into the bathroom he would cry and cry and cry until I let him in,” Carmen shared.

“He still follows me a lot, but not as much as before,” Carmen continued.

Knowing he is safe and will never go hungry again, Cotton spends his days happy and full of love, treats, and gratitude!

About Our Hero

The following is written by Carmen, Cotton’s rescuer and founder of the Animal Friends Project.

I live in Delray Beach, FL in Palm Beach County.  We have a tremendous overpopulation problem with homeless cats in our area.

These cats desperately need our help. They’ve been let down for too long.

They did not choose to live without a home and it is our responsibility to care for them by providing them with food, spaying/neutering them, and vaccinating them.

My focus is on TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return) in low income areas.  Unfortunately, I find that the number of sick and injured cats & kittens are multiplying.

There are no public resources to help these sick cats so I have taken many off the streets to tried to help them myself. 

We foster these cats/kittens and find them homes so they do not have to suffer on the streets.

How You Can Help

I fundraise to help cover the cost of vet visits, food, transportation, and other materials/equipment needed to help these deserving kitties.

Every cent we receive in donations goes straight toward the cats.

My small network of volunteers and I work tirelessly to give these cats a fighting chance.

You would be shocked by how much it costs to care for sick and injured animals.

Every day we find new cats in critical condition who desperately need medical attention. 

We are very fortunate to work with veterinarians and low cost clinics who offer discounts to us, but we still find ourselves running short.

The food and vet bills mount quickly, but the cats have no other hope.

The Animal Friends Project is a registered 501c3 non-profit. Please click here to make a donation.

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see our rescue cats and what we are doing to give them the life they always deserved.

Sharing is caring!