Neglected Cat Who Spent 13 Years Living In Enclosure Finally Feels What It’s Like To Be Free

It all started when Tanya and her husband spotted a cat struggling on the side of the road. Something about the way she moved, weak and slow, made their heart sink. They knew she needed help, so they pulled over.

The poor kitty was thin, exhausted, and covered in fleas. But despite her suffering, she looked up at them with the gentlest eyes, as if she was holding onto the tiniest sliver of hope.

It turned out she wasn’t a stray. She had an owner. But when they found out where she had been living, Tanya felt sick.

She had been confined to an enclosure for 13 years, barely surviving. And now, after escaping, she was barely clinging to life. Tanja shared in a YouTube video:

“I think she was locked in that enclosure for 13 years of her life.”

Tanya and her husband couldn’t just walk away. They asked the owner if they could take her to the vet. He didn’t seem to care much, so he agreed.

At the clinic, the vet’s words were devastating. The cat might not have made it another day or two if they hadn’t found her.

She was battling a severe blood infection, and she was so infested with fleas that her fur was matted with dirt and dried blood. It was heartbreaking.

The couple brought the little cat home and the next few weeks became a battle for survival. The cat, now named Miss Owen, needed IV fluids every day for two weeks, plus a month-long course of antibiotics.

Tanya’s daughters were her little nurses, never leaving her side. They hand-fed her, whispered soft words to her, and made sure she never felt alone.

At first, Miss Owen was too weak to even lift her head. She just lay there, quiet and exhausted, as if waiting to see if this new life was real or just another disappointment.

But then, something changed. After five days of simply existing, she found the strength to move.

One evening, while Tanya was lying in bed, Miss Owen slowly climbed up and snuggled against her. The warmth of a soft bed, the comfort of a human touch – these were things she had never known before, as Tanya shared:

“I don’t think she’s ever been in a bed, ever in her life… She never has had that closeness with a human.”

As Miss Owen got stronger, Tanya knew she could never go back to that enclosure. The thought of returning her to the same life of loneliness and neglect was unbearable.

So she went back to the owner and asked if she could officially take Miss Owen in as her own. The man barely hesitated before agreeing.

But as Tanya was about to leave, her heart sank all over again. There, inside that same enclosure, was another cat.

A tiny face peeked through the gaps, eyes wide and full of the same quiet desperation Miss Owen had. Tanya’s chest tightened. It was obvious that this cat had been forgotten, too.

When she asked about her, the owner admitted that his grandson was allergic, so the cats had simply been put away, out of sight, out of mind.

That was all Tanya needed to hear. She asked if she could take the second cat as well. And just like that, little Penelope joined their family.

For Miss Owen and Penelope, life was finally soft. They discovered the joy of sleeping under blankets, safe and warm, and soaked up every bit of love from Tanya and her girls.

These poor kitties had spent so many years surviving. Now, they were finally living. Their past was full of struggle, but their future was nothing but love.