When a Virginia rescue volunteer went to help a nearby animal shelter that had reached capacity, she never would have guessed what was about to happen.
Not only did the rescue have no more space, they also had a virus that was spreading between their animals.
The rescue volunteer noticed two little kittens who had been hit especially hard by the virus.
Keep reading to find out if she was able to help!
A Tough Decision
The woman, Debi Martin, knew that the rescue she worked for, Central Virginia Regional Rescue, could only take in a few more animals themselves.
So, she decided to take in the two that seemed to need her help the most.
The two kittens she had seen earlier were only 2 months old, but were seriously struggling with upper respiratory infections from the virus.
Debi knew she could help these kittens and give them the special care they needed.
It was a tough decision, but if she could only take in two, Debi believed it needed to be these two.
Road to Recovery
Debi brought the two kittens home and decided to foster them herself.
It was touch and go at first, but after 3 weeks of treatment, the kittens made a full recovery!
One of the kittens was adopted very shortly after she recovered, while the other, named Lucie, struggled to find a home.
Not only that, but poor Lucie continued to battle back and forth with respiratory issues, even after recovering from her infection.
Debi wasn’t sure what to do, but she knew that she was going to do whatever it took to help little Lucie feel better again.
A Mystery Illness
Lucie’s health seemed to go through ups and downs.
“She’d be doing well, then after stopping the meds she’d relapse and not be able to breathe,” Debi said. “She was just miserable.”
Debi could tell Lucie was a sweetheart, but it was hard for her to completely come out of her shell while she was feeling bad.
“She was such a lazy, sleepy kitty,” Debi said.
While they weren’t able to figure out what exactly was wrong with Lucie, they did find a medicine that worked better than the others!
“She was always very sweet, but she definitely vaulted out of her shell once we found meds that worked,” Debi said.
Now, with some medications that seemed to work, Debi was ready to help Lucie get back on her feet!
A Blossoming Flower
Lucie’s health still had its ups and downs, but it was now more manageable with the right medications.
She can’t stay on the medication indefinitely because the vets don’t want her to develop a resistance to it, but the program they’re on has been working.
With more time feeling healthy, Lucie’s true personality has blossomed!
She runs and plays and snuggles with everyone in the house, animal and human alike.
“She has adored my senior cat from the beginning,” Debi said. “And now they snuggle together and he’ll let her groom him.”
With a care plan in place and a better idea of Lucie’s personality, Debi knew it was time to start looking for her forever home.
The Perfect Fit
Lucie had gotten a few adoption applications, but none of them seemed to be the right fit.
Many potential adopters loved Lucie, but weren’t sure they could keep up with her medical needs.
Debi also started to notice something as the applications came and went…
“She would get adoption applications, and even if they were great, I’d be like ‘Oh no! I can’t handle it if she leaves’,” Debi said.
Eventually, Debi realized that Lucie had already found her perfect fit!
“She fits in well here, and I love her to death,” Debi said. “So, she’s staying.”
Debi could tell that Lucie was just as happy about this as she was.
Happily Ever After
Now in her foster home turned forever home, Lucie is living it up!
She never lets her health struggles get her down and always gets the most out of every day.
“On a scale of 1-10, I’d give her personality an 11,” Debi said. “She’s just a super interactive, playful, cuddly, affectionate cat.”
Lucie loves to spread her joy with everyone she meets.
“She just wants to make friends immediately,” Debi said. “She’s lots of fun to have around.”
With her new forever family, Lucie will get to make all the friends she wants for the rest of her days!
Click here to follow Debi on Instagram and see more of her amazing foster work!