When a woman found an abandoned cat in a rough part of town, she knew she had to help.
The poor little cat was malnourished, covered in dirt and wounds, and had a bad eye.
This good samaritan was going to do everything she could to help him out.
Keep reading to find out what happened next!
Rushed to Safety
As if by fate, the woman who found this cat happened to be studying to be a veterinarian.
She could tell his scrapes weren’t life threatening, but his eye needed immediate attention.
She quickly got him somewhere safe and made arrangements to have his eye worked on.
Sadly, it was too late for his right eye. It would need to be removed.
But despite this, he was in a much better position than he started in.
She then began reaching out to different rescues to see if anyone could take this poor boy in.
The scariest part was over, but this cat’s rescue journey was only just beginning.
A Glimmer of Hope
The woman called multiple places, but no one could him in.
He did, however, receive a name: Frankie!
The woman’s luck turned around when she emailed Michele Hoffman, the founder of Milo’s Sanctuary Inc.
“Other places wouldn’t take him in because he has one eye, a crooked ear, and he’s FIV positive,” Michele shared. “And to us, that just made him more perfect!”
Frankie didn’t know it yet, but this was his big break.
Slow and Steady
The staff at Milo’s Sanctuary welcomed Frankie in with open arms.
Frankie, on the other hand, was very scared and timid in his new surroundings.
“He was very afraid of people,” Michele said. “All he wanted to do was hide under the bed.”
Frankie’s body was healing, but his heart was still broken.
Luckily for Frankie, Milo’s Sanctuary had just the thing to mend a broken heart.
A Spoonful of Sugar
It was slow going at first, helping Frankie trust again.
They fed him under the bed and would hangout with him, occasionally petting him if he let them.
“You have to let them heal in their own time,” Michele said.
Milo’s Sanctuary was ready to give Frankie all the time he needed.
After a few months, it seemed that Frankie might actually be ready to come out of his shell.
Born for the Spotlight
After almost 6 months, Frankie finally started showing more of his true self!
His personality was shining through as bright as ever.
The staff at Milo’s Sanctuary had earned his trust, and he was ready to start being himself again.
Everyone, including Frankie, was so happy.
“I remember the first time I saw him playing with a toy, and then sleeping in the sun, it just made my heart sing,” Michele said.
Everything was going great, and it was about time to start thinking about a forever home for Frankie.
Home is Where the Heart Is
After 8 months of caring for Frankie, Michele made a big decision about his future.
“Being FIV positive, and having a few other ongoing health complications, we decided that Frankie would do best in lifetime care with us,” Michele said.
Everyone was so happy to know they wouldn’t have to say goodbye to their sweet boy.
Frankie, on the other hand, seemed to be wondering why it took everyone so long to realize he’d been home all along!
From that point onward, each day for Frankie has been better than the last.
Let Your Light Shine
Nowadays, Frankie is a star at Milo’s Sanctuary.
“Every time we have an open house, Frankie will come out and roll over on his back,” Michele said. “He is very much the attention grabber now and he loves it.”
Now that he feels safe, he is free to be whoever he wants to be!
He loves to play with his catnip mouse toy, and goes wild for anything food related.
“He’s extremely social now.”
It’s fair to say that Frankie, now dubbed Frankie the Muppet, having been through so much, deserves all the pets, treats, and catnip he wants.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than taking a cat like Frankie, who had no reason to trust people, and to watch them blossom into this healthy, social cat,” Michele said.
Click here to follow Milo’s Sanctuary and see more of Frankie!
Angela Destefanis
Wednesday 6th of July 2022
Aww, God bless the woman who rescued Frankie, and the sancuary that took him in, and so happy for you Frankie.
Kate Kenner
Friday 1st of July 2022
I think his face has so much character the way it is. He is a very handsome guy and unique. We humans are not always so smart so it took them a while to realize he was home. It was the same with my mini dachshund foster, also called Frankie when he came to stay with me. He knew he was home after a day or two but it took me a bit longer.