Sweetie is a 9 year old Persian cat whose life went along just fine until her human mom passed away and her human dad had to go into a nursing home.
After being taken away from the only family she knew, she stopped eating and caring for herself and even refused to respond to people. "The people keeping her didn't know what to do so they surrendered her to the shelter where she hissed and growled at everyone who came near," Liza Martz of Claiborne Animal Shelter said.
When she arrived at
Claiborne Animal Shelter (New Tazewell, TN), her fur was matted, and she was skin and bones. She was so pitiful but no one could get near her to comfort her. "She was grieving herself to death and we needed to get help fast."
Courtesy of Claiborne Animal Shelter
"We sent out requests to two Persian cat rescues and they were willing to take her but were so far away we thought the trip would stress Sweetie even more and she didn't need that. So we contacted a Siamese Cat rescue we work with in Knoxville and one of their volunteers agreed to foster." Martz told Love Meow.
"When Sweetie got to her foster home, the first order of the day was a bath. Her brave foster mom managed to get her scrubbed and then wrapped her into a kitty burrito to rub her dry."
Courtesy of Claiborne Animal Shelter
With a lot of love, Sweetie got better and better every day!
"Sweetie looked so much better and her spirits improved. She started to eat and drink and to groom herself. "
Courtesy of Claiborne Animal Shelter
She started to show affection again!
"Before you know it, she allowed her foster mom to pet her, no cuddling please, just a simple pat on the head will do."
As Sweetie grew more comfortable, her foster mom fell more in love with her.
Courtesy of Claiborne Animal Shelter
Sweetie got back in shape and was ready to move on, but her foster mom couldn't part with her.
"She was so sweet when she asked to adopt Sweetie, wanting to know if it was all right with us and what she needed to do, etc. Of course we were delighted. Now Sweetie is coming out of her room and mingling with the mom and dad and 3 other cats," Martz told Love Meow.
Sweetie sharing a bed with one of her new feline siblings.
Courtesy of Claiborne Animal Shelter
"Her new family just loves her to pieces. And this makes us so darn happy to see that little kitty get the chance she needed to find a loving home."
Courtesy of Claiborne Animal Shelter
Sweetie curled up on her new mom's lap for the very first time yesterday. Little Sweetie is home!
Courtesy of Claiborne Animal Shelter
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