Lori Farris is a 50-year old teacher from Florida who recently rescued a cat with a deformity that she found on the street. She even managed to save the poor kitty from being euthanized and gave her the forever home she deserved. However, she never imagined that this kitten would become such an important part of her life.
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One day, Farris was leaving work when she found a kitten looking worse-for-wear. The poor kitty was filthy, covered in fleas, and had a bloody nose
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“One day when I left a student’s house there was a tiny, dirty kitten on the doorstep and she followed me to my car,” recalled Lori. “I took her home and cleaned her because she had fleas and a bloody nose.”
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Farris brought the kitten home with her, cleaned her up real good, and named the kitty Willow. A few days later, she took the kitten in to see the vet for a checkup, that’s when the vet discovered that the kitten not only had fleas, but she also suffered from eye infections and intestinal parasites.
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Sadly, the vet informed her that the kitten would most likely be put down at a shelter for not being “pretty” enough for adoption. As an animal lover, Farris knew that she could never allow that to happen. So, she made the decision to adopt the kitten herself and give Willow the best life possible.
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“The poor thing had eye infections, fleas and intestinal parasites but the vet thought she seemed healthy other than her face and mouth – she said it was like feline Down Syndrome. The vet said that the shelter would surely euthanize her since she wasn’t ‘pretty’ so I decided to keep her.”
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While some may wonder if Willow has Down syndrome, we should note that cats do not get this condition. Aside from what the vet believed to be a facial deformity, Willow seems otherwise perfectly healthy. The cat quickly adjusted to her new life with Farris, and thankfully, over time, all her other health issues healed as well.
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Even though her face and mouth appear to be different than your average cat, Willow is most certainly beautiful in her own way, and her new family loves this kitty with all their heart.
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“I’m okay with people saying she’s weird-looking because she is, but I don’t like when people call her ugly, retarded, or gross,” Farris said. “I think people like her because she’s a symbol of love, kindness and being beautiful even though looking different. She’s a wonderful little cat in every way and I’m so glad she’s in my life.”
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Today, Willow is now about two years old, and she loves her new happy and healthy life with Farris and her canine sister, a boxer named Ella. Willow even has her own Instagram with over 141,000 followers!
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Willow proves that animals are so much more than their superficial appearance.
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Source: Paws Planet