Mabel the cat came into her experienced foster mom Malia’s life at 12 years old and weighed only four pounds (under 2kg).
She was also blind, and on top of being malnourished, had a host of skin, dental, and ear problems.
She had bald patches all over her body, and was incredibly picky with what she ate, most likely because her dental issues were causing her pain.
But Malia was determined to make Mabel the healthiest and happiest she could be.
A long way to health
It took some trial and error but over the first few days Malia figured out a consistent diet for Mabel to help her start gaining weight.
After extensive diagnostics by her vet, Mabel didn’t seem to have any underlying conditions which was good news.
But she did have a lot of other health issues that were going to take a lot of time, money, and effort to treat.
After being treated for an upper respiratory infection, and getting B12 injections and antibiotics for ear infections, she needed to go on a specialized protein diet.
Then she saw an eye specialist who found the cause of her blindness to be glaucoma, a painful condition that causes pressure to build up behind the eye.
After that, she was diagnosed with asthma and various allergies and this was all before Mabel was able to get the extensive dental work she still needed.
All of this testing and treatment would have been impossible if not for the donations made by Mabel’s followers around the world.
This, coupled with the love and dedication that Malia gave, and still does for little Mabel, she began to thrive despite her health issues.
For the rest of her life
Mabel was only supposed to be a temporary foster for Malia, but over a year later she is still caring for her.
As the causes for some of Mabel’s health issues came to light they became more manageable.
Her skin condition improved, her ears no longer bothered her, and although she has some daily medications to take, all in all, her health is leaps and bounds from where it was before.
Despite the strides she has made, Mabel is now considered a hospice case, meaning that Malia is going to make her as comfortable and happy as she can for the time Mabel has left.
But it doesn’t have to be all sad, Malia is taking advantage of all the moments she gets to spend with Mabel and is still determined to make sure she has the best quality of life.
Those who are able to can help by donating money or even just commenting and sharing her Instagram posts if you can’t afford to give right now.
Every little helps to improve the life of this little feline for the time she has left in this world.