In May 2017, adoption counselor Sara Rivers arrived for work at Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly). As she walked in, her boss told her they had received a six-month-old stray cat who was missing two of his paws and had gone into surgery.
Rivers went back to see the cat. It was love at first sight.
“I walked back to surgery and, as soon as I saw him, I knew I wanted to be his foster,” Rivers told The Dodo. “He was missing both of his paws on his two right legs. I had never seen anything like it.”
The staff nicknamed the cat ‘Nubbies’. Poor Nubbies had clearly been through a traumatic incident, and he had a long road to recovery ahead of him. But even though he was in pain, he was still the most loving, energetic cat.
“A cute thing I love about Nubbies is the time we spend with him after he gets his ‘dips’ [medical baths],” Rivers said. “We have to dip his nubbies in a small basin and then let him air dry before putting him back in his crate, which means we have hold him for about 5-10 minutes. Even while he has his paws in the dip, or when they’re soaking wet, which I’m sure can’t be very pleasant, we still hear him purring like a machine.”
Nubbies is a determined cat, and he quickly figured out how to get around on three legs. One of the veterinarians at ACCT Philly took a great video of Nubbies walking around the shelter’s hallways.
Once Nubbies was well enough, Rivers took him home with her.
Rivers was planning on simply fostering the cat. But then, she fell in love with him, and she soon realized that she didn’t want to give him up.
“I’ve been saying that I will never foster fail another cat, but if Nubbies keeps proving what a perfect addition he would be to our family, I might have to go against my word,” Rivers said.
In October 2017, Rivers announced that she was officially adopting Nubbies. The sweet cat had won her heart, and she was so excited to give him a great forever home!
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Nubbies loves living with Rivers. He gets along well with her other cats, and he loves cuddling with her more than anything. Rivers decided to enroll him in the Pet Therapy program at ACCT Philly so he can help other people in need. Rivers hopes that Nubbie’s story shows why it’s so important to special needs cats.
“A lot of people think that medically needy cats aren’t worth saving because there is an increasingly large population of cats,” Rivers said. “That does not mean that cats with special needs aren’t deserving of good, loving homes.”
Nubbies has come a long way since ACCT Philly first found him on his own on the streets of Philadelphia. This adorable, lovable cat has found the perfect fur-ever home!
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