A tiny kitten’s life hung by a thread after a tragic accident left her gasping for breath. It didn’t look like she would make it, but this little fighter wasn’t ready to give up.
What came next was a touching journey of hope, love, and a fierce fight for survival.
Pookie’s ordeal began when a toddler accidentally squeezed her on New Year’s Eve. One of her rescuers, a devoted team member at Texas Cat Coalition, recounted the heartbreaking scene, sharing in a YouTube video:
“I didn’t think she would survive the night. She was really lethargic. She couldn’t open her eyes. She couldn’t lift her head.”
Pookie wasn’t a pet to the family where she was found; she was just one of the kittens born under their house, a stray in need of shelter.
After speaking with the toddler’s mother who initially thought the kitten had died, the rescuers performed CPR and rushed Pookie to the vet, fearing she might have a severe back injury.
The poor kitten suffered brain trauma caused by the loss of oxygen and had an injured mouth; the child had tried to force it open, leaving Pookie with pain that made even the slightest movement unbearable.
Once at the vet, things looked grim. Pookie was placed on oxygen and fed through a tube, but she remained motionless for days, as her rescuer shared:
“I didn’t think that Pookie really had a chance. We had a tube feeder, she stayed on oxygen. She didn’t move, she just lay there. And she had an oxygen mask over her face.”
For several days, Pookie’s eyes stayed shut, and the rescuers watched anxiously, waiting for any sign of improvement.
As days passed, Pookie began to show signs of life. Her eyes opened little by little, and though she experienced small seizures, she fought through them with inspiring tenacity.
The rescuers watched, holding their breath, as Pookie took her first shaky steps. At first, she could only walk backward, but soon, she found her way forward, her tiny legs lifting with purpose, inching toward recovery.
Every day, Pookie made progress. Her rescuers saw a spark in her, a fighter’s spirit that refused to give up.
The real breakthrough came when she started eating on her own, a simple act that felt like a monumental victory. It was then that her rescuers knew – they could get through anything together. Pookie had already beaten the odds.
Now, Pookie is thriving in her second chance at life. She’s a happy cat who enjoys a good life. Her rescuers shower her with love, cherishing every moment with her, sharing:
“She’s doing really great. She has her ups and downs, and we deal with those on a daily basis. She’s still a happy cat. She has a good quality of life. We would never make her go through life with a horrible quality of life.”
Pookie’s transformation is a beautiful example of healing, resilience, and compassion but it also shows how important it is to be careful, especially with tiny, fragile animals.
Even the best intentions can lead to accidents, so it’s important to watch closely and teach kids to be gentle with their furry friends.