Do you believe in love at first sight? Well, if you didn’t before then this story will certainly change your mind. When this cat first met the woman that was going to take him home, the bond between them was nothing less than amazing.
20. Counselor
Sara Rivers is a 25-year-old that works as a counselor at Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly). ACCT Philly happens to be the largest animal shelter service in the region and they are constantly helping out tons of abandoned or neglected animals.
19. Usual Day
Rivers came into work ready to take on the day. She was getting into the usual routine when her boss alerted her to an unusual circumstance that the shelter was dealing with.
18. The Circumstance
So what had her boss told her? Apparently, there was a 6-month-old cat that was currently in surgery. This particular cat was in dire need of support from no-kill shelters. They needed to get the cat into a safe environment as soon as possible.
17. First Encounter
To this day, Sara still remembers the first time she laid eyes on the cat that would forever change her life. “I walked back to surgery and, as soon as I saw him, I knew I wanted to be his foster,” Rivers told The Dodo.
16. Bringing Him Home
“I immediately reached out to my friends at The Philly Kitty to tell them about this poor sight and, without hesitation, they told me I could bring him home with me from work that day.” From that point on, the cat would be affectionately known as Nubbies.
15. Poor Shape
Although Nubbies had just undergone surgery, he wasn’t doing quite so well. Rivers, who had been around a lot of animals with health issues, was blown away by Nubbies condition. It was a tragic situation…
14. Tragedy
Nubbies found himself in quite a predicament. “He was missing both of his paws on his two right legs. I had never seen anything like it,” Rivers commented. Much of the vet staff believed that Nubbies had undergone something tragic and was having trouble healing because of it.
13. Recovery Process
Although no one knows what could have happened to Nubbies, the vet’s worked hard to help him out. They started off by prescribing the cat some pain medication and antibiotics. However, Nubbies still had a long road ahead of him…
12. Support System
Nubbies had a long recovery process ahead of him and it wouldn’t be an easy one. Luckily for him, he had a strong support system in the form of Rivers. She made a promise that she would be there for Nubbies through it all.
11. Even Harder
The situation would be hard for any animal to recover from, however, with Nubbies it was especially hard for one particular reason. Nubbies absolutely adores attention and love. He would find it so difficult to sit still throughout his recovery!
10. Silly Cat
According to Rivers, Nubbies absolutely loves to “crawl and throw himself onto people’s laps.” However, Rivers has also noted that Nubbies is extremely resilient and has remained incredibly affectionate even when he was in a lot of pain.
9. Dips
“Another cute thing I love about Nubbies is the time we spend with him after he gets his ‘dips’ [medical baths],” Rivers said. “We have to dip his nubbies in a small basin and then let him air dry before putting him back in his crate, which means we have hold him for about 5-10 minutes.”
8. Always Purring
“Even while he has his paws in the dip, or when they’re soaking wet, which I’m sure can’t be very pleasant, we still hear him purring like a machine.” Nubbies has managed to stay as sweet as ever despite all of the difficulties thrown his way.
7. The Bandages
“Right now, his front right leg is wrapped in a bandage and his hind right leg has been amputated, so he is learning how to walk on three legs,” Rivers said. “Once we are able to remove the bandage, we’ll be able to see how he adjusts.”
6. Prosthetics
If Nubbies is unable to learn how to walk with only three legs, then The Philly Kitty would consider having him fit for a prosthetic leg. Even though he still has his cast and bandage on, that hasn’t stopped Nubbies from moving around and getting what he wants.
5. Always Persevering
“When I woke up from a nap, I had a text on my phone from Nubbies’ doctor with a picture of Nubbies in a little green cast, along with a video of him walking across the room.” Since his casts and bandages do hinder him a bit, Nubbies prefers cuddles and snack time!
4. Big Eater
“He LOVES to eat,” said Rivers. “He also loves being spoiled with cuddles and snuggles.” Even though he has such serious injuries, Rivers has undoubtedly fallen in love with Nubbies. Rivers eventually announced that she would be adopting Nubbies for good!
3. Adopted
“I think we all saw this coming…RJ Walsh and I are so excited to announce that Nubbies is officially part of our family! When it came time to get him ready to go offsite, we realized our home would never be the same without him,” Rivers wrote on Facebook.
2. Worth Saving
“A lot of people think that medically needy cats aren’t worth saving because there is an increasingly large population of cats,” Rivers said. “That does not mean that cats with special needs aren’t deserving of good, loving homes.”
1. Happy Home
Nubbies has come a very long way since he was originally rescued. Thanks to the dedication from Rivers, Nubbies has made a great recovery in a loving and caring home.