Willow

This fairy tale ending was a year in the making but it was sooo worth the wait!! Willow was a shell of a cat when we first got her out of the Tipton County Animal Shelter in August 2022 where she had been surrendered by her owners. She is in very poor condition ~ underweight, with generalized hair loss and scabbing, in need of a dental, sick with URI and a depressed attitude understandably.

Willow’s shelter pic

It took us many months to restore her health and multiple vet trips but after a course of steroid injections, treatment for severe ear infections and fleas, a dental, and diagnosing the root cause of her issues as an allergy to chicken ~ we were finally successful in helping Willow thrive!

Looking plumper and fluffier after we got her medical issues addressed

Even after all of her medical issues were behind us, Willow was what we'd classify as a "harder to adopt" cat due to her food allergy/special diet and the fact that she really doesn't care for other cats. We needed help to find her just the right home and when foster-based Ten Lives Cat Rescue agreed to do just that, we were thrilled!! Willow headed north to Rhode Island in March 2023 and she settled in well with her TLCR foster family. During follow up veterinary checkups there, Willow was diagnosed with an infected toe that required treatment before she was cleared for adoption but earlier this summer, she finally hit the adoption scene. Then in August 2023 Willow was matched up with the purrfect person! She is an only cat now and Ten Lives just received this update which about makes us cry it is so sweet. Not only does Willow look AMAZING but she is now so comfortable and happy that a playful, sassy side has emerged. This was a rescue that will remain in our hearts for a long time and we are so grateful to everyone involved in making it possible!!

From Willow's mom:

"Willow is an absolute delight, and really needed almost no time at all to settle in to her new home. Her first night, she had the ultimate zoomies and knocked over a plastic set of drawers at 2am, which really set the tone of our relationship. She is the queen of the apartment and does not let me forget it, chatting at me the second I walk through the door.

We've also been working on training...mainly her training me to do exactly what she wants, like herding me to the bathroom first thing in morning so I can turn the shower on for her and she can lick the drips. She is such a funny girl, and I couldn't be more in love. She loves to cuddle and is so affectionate. I'm so grateful to have her in my life, thank you so much!

- Samara and Willow”