Cats of San Bernardino is a non-profit organisation that helps vulnerable and at-risk cats. They'd heard that there was a little kitten in a septic tank hole that urgently needed their help.
Angry and frightened kitten
When the rescuer arrived, she was shown the hole where the cat had got in. Sure enough, a little feral kitten was sitting in a puddle of grimy water. The kitten was angry and frightened, making it difficult to get her out.
Once out of the hole, the kitten was put in a carrier and taken to the rescuer's house. Once the woman arrived home and took the lid off the carrier, the kitten began hissing and growling at her. It was clear that the woman was the first human ever to touch her. But that wasn't the kitten’s only issue.
As the woman lifted her out of the carrier, the kitten’s back legs just fell straight down. There was no movement in the back legs, and the kitten couldn't even stand. Worried that the kitten, now named Bastet, could hurt her back legs if she dragged them around, the woman made a little pouch for her and carried her around for a couple of weeks. It was also an opportunity for the woman to get close to Bastet and gain her trust.
Remarkable recovery
The woman began a physio programme, gently exercising the kitten's back legs. But then, one day, to everyone's surprise, Bastet bent her knees, something she'd never been able to do before.
Then a couple of days later, the woman heard strange sounds from the kitchen. It sounded like eating. Sure enough, when she went to look, she saw Bastet standing on all four of her legs, happily eating from her food bowl. The woman couldn't believe her eyes. From that day onwards, Bastet’s back legs got stronger and stronger, and soon she was walking around, jumping and playing on all four legs.
Watch Bastet's journey from rescue to recovery:
When the day came that Bastet went to live with her forever family, it was bittersweet for her rescuer and foster mum, who'd looked after her for two years. But she was proud of Bastet's incredible progress from an angry kitten who couldn't walk to a loving and active cat ready to start a new adventure.
