As Sandra was heading to the shelter one morning, she stopped to feed stray puppies like she did every day.
When she couldn’t find them, she began searching, but instead of puppies, Sandra discovered a tiny paralyzed kitten. Knowing she couldn’t leave him behind, she decided to help.
The poor kitten was dragging his hind legs, trying to run away from her. Fortunately, Sandra was quick enough to scoop him up and rush him home.
Initially, he was terrified of human touch; he hissed and growled at Sandra, and at one point even swatted at her. Recounting the experience to The Dodo, Sandra said:
“The fear in his eyes just broke my heart.”
Although Sandra was concerned about the potential high cost of medical bills, she was determined not to give up on him.
At home, she named the little newcomer Milou, who soon began to relax, stop hissing, and even allowed Sandra to pet him. She fed him and gave him a cozy blanket while planning his recovery.
Very soon, she took him to the vet for a thorough check-up. The vet visit involved a thorough check-up, flea treatment, and deworming, along with an X-ray to assess his paralysis.
The vet informed Sandra that Milou had severe spinal cord trauma, which left him paralyzed. Thankfully, his nervous system was not entirely damaged, as he could still manage bodily functions. Sandra then arranged an intensive physiotherapy regimen for her feline protégé.
Milou underwent ultrasound and electric stimulation treatments, but hydrotherapy proved most effective. After a couple of sessions, he showed remarkable improvement, which made Sandra very happy.
During his recovery journey, Milou started to open up even more. It was as though he found renowned strength in his misfortune.
He was affectionate, playful, and had the spirit of a true fighter. One thing was certain: He was not ready to give up!
Eventually, Milou grew stronger and more confident on his legs, until one day he actually started walking on his own. It was a true miracle!
Sandra shared a video on her TikTok documenting Milou’s progress, which quickly gained over 619k views. Wish to see it? Then here you go:
In the video’s description, Sandra expressed her gratitude for the overwhelming support she received. She wrote:
“Thank you from the bottom of our #heart, that you believed in us, believed in his recovery! We are doing it, and the journey doesn’t stop here. We still have many months to go, but we are expecting more than 90% recovery!”
Throughout the whole journey, Sandra was spreading Milou’s tale far and wide, hoping somebody out there would pitch in financially to cover his medical bills.
But because Milou’s story went viral on the Internet, Sandra managed to raise plenty of funds. And get this – not only did she use it to take care of Milou’s needs, but she also expanded her cat shelter.
In a twist of fate, her resilient feline ended up helping her save other kitties in distress. How incredible is that?
Reflecting on Milou’s impact, Sandra remarked:
“He gave me the confidence to help animals no matter what. He rescued literally so many of my animals. I would really love for someone to adopt him because I think he has so much potential to make a difference. He’s changed my life and I just love him.”
I’m rootin’ for Milou to find his forever home soon. But even if he doesn’t, I suppose it isn’t half bad if he sticks with Sandra for good. Who knows, maybe this handsome boy is another foster fail in the making…
If you enjoyed this story as much as I did, I encourage you to leave a comment down below. Also, be sure to follow Sandra’s work on her Instagram and TikTok. As a passionate cat lover, she deserves all the support she can get, don’t you agree?
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