A Southern California woman and her husband were relaxing on their front porch when suddenly they saw something the couldn’t believe.
A litter of kittens came out of nowhere, running into their yard with a dog close behind them.
They couldn’t tell if the dog just wanted to play or not, but they could tell it was scaring the kittens either way.
So, without thinking twice, the woman and her husband immediately jumped into action.
They swept the kittens up as quickly as they could and began to calm them down.
The woman then began to think about what to do with her unexpected guests.
Little did they know that one of the kittens in the litter would change their lives forever.
Heartbreaking Discovery
When the woman, named Nicole Williams, and her husband brought the kittens in, they noticed that the ginger one, whom they later named Koda, was having issues with his back legs.
“He was just dragging his rear legs around the front yard,” Nicole recalled.
They couldn’t tell if he was fully paralyzed or not, but they were determined to help him.
Nicole and her husband were unsure whether the kitten got his injury from the dog or he was born with it.
Regardless of his history, the couple willingly opened their home to care for Koda and his littermates.
That was when things started looking up for the little kittens.
Getting Extra TLC
As soon as Nicole and her husband got the scared kittens settled down, they gave them a temporary space in their bathroom.
“We kept them quarantined there because we weren’t sure if they were sick,” Nicole recalled.
They then gave the litter some healthy food to restore their strength and kept checking in on them every once in a while.
The kittens were so happy to be indoors, safe and sound.
They thanked Nicole with soft purrs and tender meows.
Nicole’s next goal was to get these kittens to a vet, especially Koda.
She knew that she’d only be able to help Koda so much without knowing what his issue specifically was.
Nicole was expecting just to get the kittens vaccinated and looked over, but she ended up getting so much more!
A Way Forward
During the litter’s vaccination day, the vet at the rescue paid special attention to Koda.
She had a soft spot for the little kitten and knew just how to help Nicole give him the best life.
“She recommended I do some special exercises with him.” Nicole shared. “She also suggested I get involved in a community that will support me because there are lots of special needs communities online for animals.”
This eventually led her to Instagram, where she found an amazing group of pet owners who also have special needs animals.
The group gave her useful pointers and tips that made taking care of Koda easier.
“I learned to do diapers and express his bladder. I learned the different vitamins to give him,” Nicole said.
Through it all, Koda was a trooper.
He never complained once, and showed his gratitude to Nicole in so many ways.
She also got Koda into acupuncture for a few months and gave him light therapy pads.
Eventually, all her efforts paid off!
Living the Good Life
After several months of treatment, Koda started perking up.
“When we first found him, he had no movement in his legs or tail. But, after all these therapies, massages, and stretches, he started moving his tail and his legs,” Nicole shared.
“He survived, and every day, he just kept getting stronger,” she added.
While Nicole had planned on keeping Koda and his siblings until they were ready to find forever homes, she realized she couldn’t give Koda up.
Not only was she able to give him care that no one else could, Koda was able to fill a spot in Nicole’s heart she didn’t even know she had.
It was decided; Koda was going to become a permanent part of their family.
Happily Ever After
From there, Koda’s personality started shining even more.
“He loves to explore, climbs everything, plays with everything. He loves to be with other cats.” Nicole shared. “He’s very cuddly.”
Although Koda still can’t walk on his back legs, it no longer limits his movement.
“He’s very active. He climbs straight up his custom-built cat tree,” Nicole shared.
These days, Koda spends his time hanging out with his human’s foster kittens and chasing his favorite bouncy mouse toy.
Life has been going great for him so far, and he couldn’t be happier.
He surely has overcome a lot of hardships in life, and it’s all thanks to Nicole’s patience and care.
Click here to see how far he has come!