Cinnamon had a lot to be angry about.
For 17 years, the cat lived with a sweet elderly couple. But then, her owners sadly died within a few months of each other. Cinnamon went to one of her owner’s relatives, but they badly mistreated her. They chased the poor cat around the house with sticks, terrifying her.
Finally, once they realized they couldn’t care for her, Cinnamon’s new owners put her into foster care. She ended up going to SCARS, a Greece-based animal rescue organization that gives animals a second chance at life. SCARS’ founder, Valia Orfanidou, tried welcoming Cinnamon with treats and toys. But Cinnamon was too upset to enjoy any of these. She hissed at Orfanidou and the other SCARS volunteers, not allowing anyone to get close to her.
Orfanidou desperately wanted to help this poor cat. She became even more determined to help Cinnamon when she learned that the cat had pancreatic cancer.
Orfanidou didn’t know how much time Cinnamon had left, and she didn’t want the cat to spend her last months angry, afraid, and surrounded by strangers.
Cinnamon was a quiet cat who barely interacted with the volunteers who came to see her. It always seemed like she was trying not to be seen.
Orfanidou and the other SCARS volunteers never gave up on Cinnamon. They gave the cat her space, but they also let her know that they were there to help her. They’d talk to her in sweet voices and leave her toys.
After a few months at SCARS, Cinnamon finally opened up a bit.
There was one volunteer in particular that she really liked. Every time this volunteer came into her room, Cinnamon would rub herself against her legs. The volunteer started spending hours with Cinnamon, helping her learn to trust humans again.
Once Orfanidou saw that Cinnamon was beginning to interact with the volunteers, she started working with the cat more. She began sitting with the cat every day. She would try to pet her, but Cinnamon would always swat her hand away.
Finally, after many weeks of this, Orfanidou was finally able to pet Cinnamon.
She put her hand in her sleeve and touched Cinnamon’s fur. The cat didn’t move, and soon, she began purring. Once Orfanidou saw that Cinnamon wasn’t going to scratch her hand, she took her hand out of her sleeve and pet her some more.
Orfanidou kept petting Cinnamon, and she kept purring. Orfanidou ended up petting the cat for an hour that day. After that, she kept coming back day after day, showing Cinnamon that she was loved and safe.
From that moment on, Cinnamon was a sweet and loving cat who always enjoyed being petted by Orfanidou and the volunteers. She also started playing with the volunteers—she seemed like a whole new cat!
Cinnamon had a very tough life, but thanks to the dedicated volunteers at SCARS, she has now learned to trust again. If you want to learn more about Cinnamon, check out the video below.
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