Back in 2014, an animal shelter in Bydgoszcz, Poland, garnered headlines for a very important reason. One of their staff members had become a bit of an online celebrity, and people were dying to know what he was all about.
Meet Rademenes!
Rademenes is an affectionate panther kitty that has an official position as the shelter’s ‘cat nurse’. He was rescued by the shelter’s vet in 2014 and now spends his days helping other animals in need.
Rademenes was given up for adoption when he was only 2-months-old. The black kitten had developed an upper respiratory infection, and his owner had simply opted to put him down.
In an interview with TVN24, shelter veterinarian Lucyna Kuziel-Zawalich explained, “Rademenes came to us at the turn of September and October. Previous owners brought him to shorten his suffering.”
Rademenes was scheduled to be euthanized, but when Lucyna caught wind of his story, she couldn’t let the little guy go.
When she “took the little ball in her hand,” she couldn’t bear to put him to sleep.
According to Pet Health Network, a feline upper respiratory infection can cause symptoms such as sniffling, sneezing, and pussy eyes. Although the condition is not usually fatal, “all viruses cause irritation and damage to the nasal passages which predispose cats to secondary bacterial infections,”Cats Exclusive explains.
Because Rademenes’ condition was very contagious, he had to be quarantined from the other animals at the shelter until Lucyna was sure he’d be okay. With the staff’s devoted love and care, however, the kitty quickly made an impressive turnaround.
“Maybe he knew he as near the end and began fighting for his life,” Lucyna explained.
“Whatever, he began winning and was soon as right as rain.”
As a sick abandoned kitty, Rademenes knew the importance of love and support— and since being saved by his rescuers, he now gives both to other sick, shelter animals in need.
Lucyna says, “He cuddles and hugs other poorly animals.”
“He cleans them, and sleeps with them, and pays particular attention to those suffering from serious disease.”
“It’s as if having been so close to death’s door himself, he now wants to help others get better.”
“We joke that he is now one of our full-time nurses.”
Karen Patrick, a Canadian vet currently working in Poland, decided to go visit Rademenes when she heard the kitty’s story online.
She told CBC News, “This sounds ridiculous but he actually comes out to greet new people coming in. Which is really, really endearing.”
“These animals are showing us a little bit […] the humanity we have lost.”
Rademenes isn’t the only famous feline in the medical field. We’ve also written about a ginger cat named Pretty Boy who acted as a kitty midwife while his goat friend Copper gave birth. You can read their story here.
Hear Rademenes’ story below!
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