Meet Mike, a lovely blind tabby cat rescued from a shady animal shelter. A nice rescuer saved Mike from a rogue dog attack.
Find out how Mike avoided a dreadful end and lived happily ever after!
Sarah Richardson of Community Cats of Central Arkansas got a frightening call from fellow rescues. She recalls a shelter in Eastern Arkansas being shuttered due to suspected abuse and neglect. A small handful of Arkansas rescuers helped save hundreds of animals from the shelter.
Sarah was asked to accept most of the shelter’s cats fairly quickly. “They couldn’t take the cats,” Sarah stated.
Sarah came to the shelter and was horrified.
“Hundreds of cats and dogs were loose. “The rest were in kennels,” Sarah recalled. That’s when Sarah met Mike, a blind tabby with two missing eyes. A leashless dog attacked Mike while he was roaming the property.
The shelter’s cat room saved Mike’s life.
Leaking walls, ceilings, and roofs plagued the cat room. Trying to survive, cats hid in every nook and crevice of the room.
The cats could only eat by escaping their kennels and risking their lives among the dogs. The shelter had abandoned their animals to fend for themselves.
Mike was handicapped by his blindness. In these conditions, he wouldn’t last long.
However, Sarah knew she would have to make many visits to the shelter to carry all 100+ cats that day. It was urgent. “We took him right home,” Sarah added. Getting Mike home wasn’t the whole battle.
In Sarah’s home, Mike could address his health worries. Infection, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing. Despite his pain, Mike loved and trusted his rescuers. “He’s the sweetest cat ever. “All he wanted was to be loved,” Sarah added.
It’s as though Mike knew he’d been saved and wanted Sarah to know it.
Mike, like other special needs cats, was smart and adaptable. He used his senses of smell and hearing to navigate his foster home. Sarah noted Mike’s caution. In his former home, he couldn’t afford to make mistakes.
Mike was hydrated and began on antibiotics and parasite therapy. He was a champ with his meds! Mike was soon perking up and revealing his true nature. Sarah publicized Mike’s accomplishments on social media.
“One of our fosters has a blind cat with two eyes. In case things went well, they volunteered to foster and adopt Mike. Mike was well enough to be fostered after a month of attentive care. He went to the foster home and never returned! Sarah said Mike was at ease. “He adores his new clan!”
With this, Mike will never be attacked or left outside again. Sarah shared Mike’s triumphs and updates on social media.
He lives a luxurious life indoors, well cared about. He is surrounded by love and has a new kitty sister, Molly. Molly also lacks both eyes, making them a cute couple.
She welcomed Mike as her new big brother and took him under her wing. “He’s happy. He found the perfect place!” Sarah yelled. Mike’s recovery isn’t over despite his happy ending.
Mike got sick while living at the shelter. There were rats “bigger than the cats” in the shelter.
Mike’s ailment is so rare that even vets can’t diagnose him right now. “The vets are still trying to diagnose him,” Sarah said. “He’ll see a specialist soon.”
Sarah Richardson is one of the only Arkansas rescuers who saves and rehabilitates old, hospice, and critically injured cats.