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When I started volunteering at Apao nearly six years ago, I knew it was a matter of time before I would end up adopting but with nearly two hundred cats it wasn´t going to be easy to pick just one. After a few months I noticed Tabata, a nine year old white and ginger cat who was in quite poor health. I remember thinking she looked a bit sad, just wandering around, not like the other cats that seemed perfectly happy and content. I could tell she wanted attention but was nervous and I could only get close by sneaking up behind her without being noticed and then I could pet her and she loved it! With time she began to trust me and I decided she was the one, I so badly wanted to take her home and make her well.

I took the day off work, picked her up and went directly to the Vet where they had their work cut out for them. Tabata was skinny with a runny nose, full of flees, with clumps of fur missing, an eye infection and a mouth full of rotten. The first thing we needed to do was get her strong enough so that they could operate and extract those teeth. We began with a good dose of subcutaneous fluids and antibiotics then sent us home with various pills and ointments. Tabata went straight into quarantine, we didn´t know if what she had was contagious, so it was best to keep her completely separated from my other cat Nuni.

With a constant supply of soft food and a warm bed she got stronger and healthier by the day. A week later at the Vet she was given more fluids, antibiotics, cortisone and an appointment for surgery. As soon as those teeth came out, I immediately noticed a difference in the way she ate, she was no longer in pain and for the first time she groomed herself.

After nearly three weeks in isolation, I decided it was time to introduce the cats, they were both well aware of each other’s existence as they´d seen shadows under the door and caught glimpses of each when I was coming and going with the cat carrier. As soon as I opened the door Tabata came trotting out showing no hesitation, Nuni on the other hand, was a bit dubious and stalked Tabata for the first few days, following her around to see what she was doing all the while keeping a safe distance. But before long they were taking naps together and became play buddies, chasing each other back and forth with the occasional swat to the face but it was all in good fun.

We eventually discovered that Tabata had food allergies so by switching to a hypoallergenic diet her condition improved and she no longer needed regular cortisone shots to keep the itching under control. Today, Tabata is still a little timid and doesn’t like being picked up, this nervousness may never go away but nevertheless she´s gone through a complete transformation and is living her best life!