Special Cat Is Abandoned, Finds Love And Can't Get Enough
Maya has a chromosomal abnormality and was abandoned in an alleyway during winter. When she met a woman and felt love for the first time, she couldn’t get enough. <3
In this world, everyone is unique. We all have significant differences that come together and make us the special people that we are. Too often, people are judged for things out of their control— like the way they look. Sadly, innocent kitties can experience this too.
Maya is an adorable cat with a chromosomal abnormality who was abandoned in an alleyway in the dead of winter.
In an e-mail, Lauren, Maya’s owner, told our staff, “Maya was found abandoned, in a cat carrier, by a dumpster, behind a Chinese food restaurant.”
“She had been there for at least one full winter night before she was found and brought inside a shelter.”
It’s unclear what issue Maya has. Her abnormality is extremely rare; however, Lauren likens it to a version of “feline Down Syndrome”, a condition where people are born with an extra chromosome.
After being rescued from the alleyway, Maya lived in a shelter for three whole months. Throughout this time, not one person expressed interest in adopting the poor babe and she was scheduled to be euthanized.
Right around that time, The Odd Cat Sanctuary, a facility specifically devoted to saving special kitties, caught wind of Maya’s story and knew they had to help. In the end, Maya saved at the last minute— and it was during her stay at The Odd Cat Sanctuary that she would meet Lauren, her brand-new forever mom.
Lauren has coached a Special Olympics gymnastics team for the past 13 years. “Many of the girls have Down Syndrome and austism,” she explained. “When I saw Maya’s photo posted by Odd Cat, I fell in love with her immediately. I felt a connection, and I knew I wanted to give her a life full of love.”
“[Maya] will likely be kitten-like in the way she acts forever,” said Lauren. “And also her teeth size, oddly enough.”
“She loves to climb onto our laps and get chin scratches, so she is very loving too. She loves to play with string toys and LOVES chasing lasers. She also loves to lay on our laps and sleep.”
When Maya had been living at The Odd Cat Sanctuary, staff had been sharing her story via Instagram. Once Maya was adopted, however, her fans wanted to way to keep up. So, Lauren decided to make Maya her own account. Now, the adorably special kitty has more than 119,000 followers.
“Her Instagram fame just sort of happened,” Lauren said. “We had no idea it would.”
“We created the account for her because a few people who saw her adoption page wanted to follow up, and I didn’t feel comfortable sharing my personal page.”
“Now, she is always a talking point, and her page has given us the opportunity to spread happiness and awareness for those who are a little different.”
Lauren says Maya has made their house feel like a home. “She has given us so much love and the opportunity to care another being. I never thought I could love something as much as her.”
Maya had a hard life. She was abandoned in an alley, likely because of the way she looked, and spent several months waiting for the purrrfect forever home. Now that Maya has finally found the love she deserves, she’s helping spread awareness about other animals and humans with special needs.
“We have made her the mascot of my personal [Special Olympics] team because my kids love her— and I figure that while we have the outlet for animals with special needs, might as well spread awareness for people with special needs too.”
“We are actually currently writing a children’s book about this.”
Lauren hopes that Maya serves as a reminder that special kitties also need love, and they are able to contribute to a household in so many meaningful ways.
“Like people, they just want to be loved like anyone else. [Special needs cats] deserve a chance at love and a stable home, too— and can give so much love back in return.”
