Cat McAuliffe
When Tata Cespedes’s neighbors told her about a kitten who was crying and laying in a puddle underneath a car near her home in Nevia, Columbia, she didn’t hesitate to help the tiny cat, even though the country was in lock-down due to the COVID-19 crisis. “I immediately went out with a box and some cloths and took the kitten out from under the car,” remembers Tata.
Right away, Tata realized the little white kitten’s hind legs were injured and he was unable to walk, and one of her neighbors told her the young cat needed to be euthanized. “I ignored his words and took the kitten up to the apartment, bathed him, and gave him a little milk with a bottle because he was very small,” says Tata. “He was about 15 days old.”
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Despite the kitten’s obvious injuries, he didn’t seem in pain or unhappy when Tata rescued him on April 23, 2020, so she decided to do everything she could for the special cat. “What moved me the most is that he was a cat who really wanted to live,” explains Tata. “He tried to move, he ate very well, and he even played. I understood that the disability was only visible to us but it did not exist for him.”
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After taking the kitten to a veterinarian, Tata discovered he had suffered a spinal injury, leaving him with hind leg paralysis and incontinence. While it’s impossible to determine exactly how the kitten received the trauma to his spine, Tata learned he would almost certainly never be able to walk again.
However, Tata was confident she would be able to give the special needs kitten a safe and happy home, so she adopted him, naming him Angel. “Angel arrived at a time in my life in which I was questioning many things about my life’s purpose,” says Tata. “I had many doubts and voids and when he arrived I had clarity about many things. He came like an angel.”
In order to help Angel become more active, Tata built a wheelchair for him, and she also bought diapers for the incontinent kitten, making it possible for him to explore his new home without the risk of having accidents on the floors and furniture.
Approximately five months later, Angel is doing great, but he and Tata have had to overcome a few challenges. “With him it has been a whole process between trial and error but with many lessons learned,” explains Tata. “I believe that relieving himself in the diaper without causing irritation has been the biggest challenge.”
Fortunately, Tata has found using medicated creams helps protect Angel’s delicate skin, allowing this special boy to have a happy, active, and pain-free life! While it’s obvious Angel is thriving, Tata has still encountered people who assume he must be unhappy simply because he’s different from the average feline. “Little Angel has no idea that he has a disability,” says Tata. “He has developed normally, and he is just as crazy, playful, and happy as the rest of the kittens.”
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In fact, Angel loves to play with Lulú, the kitten Tata adopted a year ago, and while he might be a bit different from his sister, this special boy has no trouble keeping up with his feline sibling. “She has been a great support and company for little Angel,” says Tata. “They are running and playing every day.”
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Even though Angel needs a bit more care than a typical kitten, Tata considers herself very lucky to be his mom, and she has no trouble giving him the extra assistance and attention he needs to have a good life.
After all, she was at a low point when she rescued Angel from underneath a car, and Tata credits this beautiful boy with helping her find her purpose in life and showing her that change can be positive. “Angel teaches me something every day,” says Tata. “He teaches me to value, to love without condition, and to be thankful every day.”
While Tata — and the rest of the world — is still grappling with the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 crisis, Angel has given her the peace and clarity she needs to get through this difficult time, and she’s so grateful to be able to share her life with this remarkable cat. “At this moment, Angel is my everything,” explains Tata. “He is like a son; my reason for coming home early; my unconditional love.”
To learn more about this adorable kitten, you can follow Angel on Instagram.
