Majka

---

   Majka was a feral cat who’s incredible disposition saved her little family from almost certain death. It took some time but, she’s gone from living outside, terrified of people to the most charming, affectionate house cat around. We first crossed paths with her as she was hunting in our back field - she appeared to be missing an eye and  she was absolutely emaciated. Shortly after we fed her, she left and returned with her two skinny, young kittens (more on them below).    She was desperate to protect them - mewing at them & circling around them constantly. They were scared too but, they were all terribly hungry - so, were allowed to watch them eat and replenish their food at a distance. They clearly wanted nothing to do with us - but, they were starving and we kept bringing food - so, slowly, over the next few months, she began to let her guard down bit by bit. We got a heated cat house for them as winter set in and she even started waiting for us and mewing when we’d call her and approach with her food every morning. After about 3 months, we were even allowed to gently touch between her ears sometimes as she ate.    She was clearly very young and our area had experienced a mild, snowless winter the previous year - it seemed to dangerous to leave her out in a major storm if we could help it - so, when the first big storm blew in, we trapped her a few hours beforehand. We were surprised by how quickly she became tame as she quarantined in our tack room - she went from wild scaredy-cat to lap cat (literally) overnight.    Even though she was in good weight, she was in far worse condition than what we had been seeing at a distance. She had the usual fleas, ticks & worms you’d expect with a feral cat but, she also had an upper respiratory infection and her eyes were really bad by that point (though, she did have two, which was another pleasant surprise). She also had a bad break at the base of her tail and the pads of her paws were worn flat, misshapen and uncomfortable. Luckily, she was an amazing patient and allowed drops in her eyes multiple times a day along with a lengthy course of oral antibiotics. She loved her new fluffy cat bed and took using the litter box immediately - she couldn’t have been friendlier or more polite. So, as soon as we were sure she wasn’t contagious, we moved her into the house where she’s continued to be an absolutely perfect lady. She seems to understand her reversal of fortune and is determined to live up to her promotion. While she’s still a little shy, she’s mannerly about everything, loves to cuddle and gets along well with all of the other cats (she’s definitely a little boss - but, in a friendly way). One of the most heartwarming things we’ve ever seen is how she and her two sons sleep intertwined with each other - they are still very much a little family and we love that they get to stay that way. They’re also extremely playful and, with everything she’s been through, it’s sobering to remember how young she is herself (the vets estimated her between 1.5-2 years old at the time of her spaying, about 5 months after we initially met her).    Majka got very lucky. Feral cats have a brutal life and it’s unlikely she would have made it much longer than another year or two, maybe less considering her extra issues. She continues steadily improving - her tail is better with full range of motion, she can breathe freely without wheezing or congestion, her paw pads have grown back and her eyes are even open all the way and comfortable. However, she has weakened immune system and needs special antiviral medication and supplements to stay feeling healthy. Without them, her airway becomes inflamed and her eyes, which are permanently damaged, will get painful and swollen. With careful monitoring and treatment, the vets believe she can keep them but, her eyes will need extra care and medical attention for the rest of her life. Her entire family is also allergic to chicken, making it necessary for them all to be on a special, limited ingredient diet. While she needs some special care, she’s doing incredibly well - and, who ever would have guessed that a feral momma cat (& her untouched kittens) could be the sweetest house cat around? She’s an amazing little girl