Everyone in this world is unique, but those with physical differences face particular challenges.
As humans, we know to not judge a book by its cover— and a special kitty named Smushie is living proof as to why.
Smushie is a unique little kitty who was abandoned on the streets of Virginia and left to fend for herself.
She had a few medical conditions that made her look different, but really, she just wanted to be loved.
Smushie would often wander the back streets and alley of her town, looking for scraps of food to survive. One time, a friendly neighbor had approached her— but Smushie got too scared and ran away. The kitty was full of anxiety, never knowing who to trust.
She’d never had anyone who loved her and was so exhausted trying to survive on the streets on her own.
Most people who came across Smushie were a bit unnerved by her cleft palate and tiny, baby nose — but finally, after spending a year-and-a-half in loneliness, she found the family that completely changed her life.
Lisa Ancarrow-Maltby and her husband Brian first discovered Smushie when they saw her wandering the alley behind their house.
“In late December, she came by our house and we offered her food,” Lisa told The Dodo. “She started to come by more often, and on one particularly cold and snowy day, she followed me onto the front porch. “
“As I walked inside, she approached our glass door, sat, placed a paw on the glass and started crying.”
“We brought her inside immediately, and she has been part of our family ever since.”
Even though Brian was allergic to cats, the loving couple didn’t hesitate to take the stray kitty in. “His allergies can be awful,” Lisa said, “but he loves animals and me, so we make it work.”
“When given the opportunity to help an animal in need, we do.”
Not knowing Smushie’s history, Lisa and Brian immediately took her to a vet, where they learned she was in perfect health.
The vet told the kindhearted couple that Smushie had a cleft palate and underdeveloped nose which gave her the adorable “smushed in” appearance. Aside from some funny noises though, this kitty was A-OK.
“If she gets overly excited, she has difficulty breathing through her nose,” Lisa said.
“She is very vocal and maybe because of her breathing issues, her happy noises are a little unusual, but completely original and endearing. We love it.”
“People tend to notice that her face/nose are a little different, but that doesn’t stop her from enjoying life.”
Now that she’s met the perfect family, Smushie spends all her time with Lisa, Brian, and her feline brother, another affectionate rescue.
Throughout Smushie’s one-and-a-half years on the streets, she met a lot of people who were unable (or unwilling) to see her true self. Thankfully, after so long wandering, she’s finally found her perfect match.
“She seems to be getting happier and healthier every day, ” Lisa said. “We love her so much!”
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