California Cat Clinging To Life In Bushes Gets Rescued At The Last Moment
The world can be a harsh place for abandoned animals, especially for those who have never felt a gentle touch or known the comfort of a safe home. Sadly, countless cats face that reality every day.
But for one frightened kitten in San Bernardino, California, everything changed the moment Jaina from Cats of San Bernardino crossed his path.
When Jaina first spotted him, her heart broke. His cream-colored coat was dull, his body weak, and worst of all, his eyes were clouded with a painful infection. He squinted and blinked, unable to make out the shapes around him. Jaina explained in a video:
“I don’t think he’d ever had any contact with humans at all. He was very scared. He had a very bad eye infection, so I knew he couldn’t see me.”
That fear made things difficult. Every time she tried to reach out, the young cat panicked, pulling back and shuffling away as if the world itself was chasing him. Jaina didn’t give up.
She knew this boy’s only chance of survival was to accept help, even if he didn’t understand it yet.
“I tried to reach around behind him,” she recalled. “But, his senses were elevated from not being able to see. As soon as he sensed I was close, he would pull back and start moving away.”
It seemed like an impossible mission. But after a long back-and-forth, Jaina finally made her move. With a careful reach, she managed to scoop him up.
“After we’d moved back and forth, I just kinda reached in and went over top of him, and I was able to get him.”
The little guy froze. He was trembling, exhausted, and utterly defeated. For the first time, he stopped resisting and simply surrendered to fate.
The rescuers named him Apollo, and immediately began treatment. His eye infection was severe, and for a while, there was a real fear that he could lose both eyes.
Every day, he flinched when hands reached toward him, unsure whether they brought comfort or more pain. But slowly, progress came. Against the odds, his right eye healed. His vision wasn’t perfect, but he could finally see the world again.
As his health improved, Apollo revealed a stubborn streak. Instead of clinging to people, he turned shy and antisocial.
He hid, bolted whenever possible, and made it clear he wasn’t ready to trust. For his rescuers, this was no surprise—they knew fear runs deep in cats who have lived without kindness. Patience became the key.
And patience paid off.
Five months later, Apollo had transformed into a completely different cat. His cream coat gleamed, his single blue eye sparkled, and his timid spirit gave way to a playful, affectionate personality. Jaina laughed about his new favorite habit:
“When you get him relaxed, you start rubbing down his back, he puts his booty in the air, and he’ll look around for more tickles.”
Ivy, another member of Cats of San Bernardino, proudly shared how far he’d come:
“He runs around with the kittens and things like that, so we’re really glad that he was able to do that. The whole rewarding part is how much we invested and the result we got from that.”
Now affectionately nicknamed Pollie, he spends his days running, playing, and soaking up love from everyone around him. The frightened, half-blind kitten who once resisted every touch has blossomed into a healthy, confident, and cuddly boy.
Pollie’s story is proof of what happens when compassion and persistence come together.
He may have started in fear and pain, but today he is surrounded by warmth, playmates, and humans who adore him. If only every abandoned cat could be as lucky as Pollie, the world would indeed be a brighter place.
