Kitty's Story

In 2021, the effects of COVID were still being felt deeply by families, shelters, and rescues. Financial hardship, housing changes, and unexpected circumstances left many animals needing somewhere to go, and rescues were receiving calls for help at an overwhelming rate. Although Shallow Ridge Exotics primarily focuses on avian animals and Sulcata tortoises, we have always tried, when we are able, to help animals facing especially difficult or critical circumstances.

Some calls are simply harder to forget than others. Late one evening, the night before Thanksgiving, Shallow Ridge Exotics received one of those calls. A woman was on the other end of the phone crying. She had just witnessed a young cat being struck by a vehicle. The little cat was still alive, and the woman had stopped because she could not bring herself to leave her there. She began calling shelters, rescues, and anyone she could think of, desperately trying to find someone who could help.

It was late, a holiday was only hours away, resources were limited, and she had been struggling to find somewhere willing or able to take such a serious emergency. When she reached Shallow Ridge Exotics, we told her we would come to the location and see what could be done. When the SRE team arrived, it was immediately clear that the little cat was badly injured. She needed to be moved as carefully as possible, so she was gently slid onto a board to help keep her body supported.

From there began a several-hour drive to Athens, Texas, where the team knew of a veterinarian willing to take a closer look at her and give her the care she desperately needed. That little injured cat would soon become known simply as Kitty.

Kitty's injuries were severe. One of her eyes had ruptured from the impact, and her hips had been critically injured when she was struck by the vehicle. There were many unknowns in those first days, including whether she would ever be able to walk normally again. Her veterinary care and recovery were made possible with support from the Rover Foundation, along with donations made to the rescue. Kitty spent a significant amount of time receiving veterinary care while everyone waited and hoped that her little body would stabilize.

Eventually, she was strong enough to leave the veterinary hospital, but going home did not mean that Kitty's recovery was over. It was really only beginning. Once she was stable, Kitty went home with the founder of Shallow Ridge Exotics so she could be watched closely throughout her recovery. Her injuries meant that ordinary things most cats never have to think about had suddenly become enormous challenges. Kitty rested near the founder where she could be kept comfortable and observed throughout the day and night.

There were difficult moments. As she began trying to move again, Kitty would drag her back legs. When she managed to get herself upright, she was unsteady and would wobble. Her body had been through tremendous trauma, and there was no promise that she would ever regain enough strength to walk independently, but Kitty kept trying.

Little by little, and with support, she began putting more effort into using her legs. What started as small movements slowly became steps. Those steps were not perfect, and they were certainly not easy, but they were hers. With time, patience, and a great deal of determination from Kitty herself, strength began returning to her legs. Eventually, she was able to move around on her own, although some of the effects of her injuries would remain with her.

Even today, Kitty still has limitations. She cannot jump and climb the way most cats can, and some things will probably always be more difficult for her. Her story did not end with everything suddenly becoming perfect. Instead, Kitty learned how to live life a little differently, and somehow, that seems to make her story even more special.

Over the years, Kitty has become much more than the injured little cat who arrived during Thanksgiving of 2021. She has quietly become part of the heart of Shallow Ridge Exotics. The founder often lovingly refers to her as our little mascot.

Kitty has an unusual way of paying attention to what is happening around the rescue. She seems to know when something is different, when another animal needs attention, or when something simply does not seem quite right. In her own way, she has become part of the team, often alerting us when she believes there is something we should be paying attention to. There is something especially meaningful about watching an animal who once needed so much help become so interested in the animals around her.

Kitty still has her struggles. Her injuries are part of her life, and there are challenges she continues to face. We don't try to pretend those difficulties disappeared, but Kitty has never seemed to let those challenges define her. She plays, she explores in the ways she can, she watches over what is happening around her, and she has formed relationships with the people and animals who share her world. She continues to remind us that a meaningful life does not have to be a perfect one.

Kitty's story has touched many people over the years, but perhaps the most important part of her story began with something very simple: Someone stopped. A woman saw an injured animal on the road and chose not to drive past her. She made phone call after phone call because one little life mattered to her. A veterinarian was willing to help. People donated toward her care. The rescue was able to give her somewhere to recover. And Kitty did the rest.

She fought for every little bit of progress she made. Today, when we look at Kitty, we don't simply see the injuries she survived. We see the funny, observant, determined cat who became an unexpected part of the Shallow Ridge Exotics family.

She is a reminder that rescue is rarely the work of just one person. Sometimes it begins with a stranger who stops on the side of the road. Sometimes it is a veterinarian willing to take an emergency case late in the evening. Sometimes it is a person who donates toward an animal they may never meet. And sometimes it is one very determined little cat who simply refuses to give up.

Kitty may have come to Shallow Ridge Exotics because she needed us, but over the years, she has given something back to all of us too. Her strength, her determination, and her quiet way of watching over the animals around her continue to remind us why every life deserves a chance.