Your rescue animal story

[splendidisolation]

I went to this rescue woman's house and was greeted by the most adorable little white kitten you could imagine: a beautiful face, tiny little pink paws, she came right up to me and began nuzzling me, purring like a motorbike, lolling around for a belly rub, she was enchanting.

But then I looked up and locked eyes with a shaggy tabby cat. In her eyes was a look I can only describe as total fear. I asked the woman about the tabby amd was told she'd been rescued off a derelict building site, she had jumped into the car of the woman who was feeding all these strays. I went to go and pet her, M, and she allowed herself to be petred but ran behind the washing machine, trembling. They knew she wasnt born wild, and they thought she had been badly hurt by men, because she was now very nervous around men particularly.

I told my boyfriend I had to make a choice: this heartbreaker white kitten or a tabby cat with MH problems. I just couldn't get her terrified look out of my head and I knew that I would have the patience to help her. I knew I would regret not giving her a home, whereas the white kne would be snapped up.

Now she plays with my boyfriend and even sleeps on him. She also has a "brother" now - but he's a whole different story.

Please share your rescue stories! Attached is a pic of the now healed M 😊

My second one, W, had a hectic start in life. At just 6 months old he found himself being chased by a pitbull. He jumped onto a rooftop and then into a passing woman's arms for safety!

He clearly belonged to someone as so good with people, but I suspect they weren't too sad to see the back of him: eery effort was made to connect with his old family, but the truth is he was a serious handful and I think they just couldnt be doing with his hassle.

Bouncing off walls, behaving like a mentalist, galloping around from morning to night, breaking shit, climbing and ripping curtains, terrorising the other cats in his foster homes with his aggressive need for non stop play. He would try and play with feet, hands, he would jump at handles and open closed doors, I couldnt get dressed without him launching himself at a trailing sleeve or sock.

I was given him to foster and was astounded to see my quiet, demure M put him in his place and the two ended up loving each other. Now he's nearly 2, but he still has that dangerous inquisitive glint in his eye.

This is ours - turned up just before August Bank Holiday at midnight , obviously starving , and stayed ever since! Took him to get scanned for microchips, but nothing . No one ever reported him missing , so the cat hating DH built him a luxury cat house on the patio ( with heated bed no less ! ) and he alternates between that and sleeping in the warm horses rugs in the barn , or in another cat bed in the tack room next to the radiator . But he can't stop chasing you across the yard and throwing himself at your feet ..

@plominoagain he looks like a proper farm cat!

All my animals are waifs and strays or special cases and they've all had amazing stories. My latest addition is Gypsy - she was found stuffed in a hole in someone's garden wall at approx 6 weeks of age. She was with her rescuer for a good while, battled several rounds of cat flu and conjunctivitis, came to me a month ago at 4 months old - she is still absolutely tiny, she's had such s rough start that she's only just started to grow, but she's now packing on weight and is the sweetest, cuddliest and most playful kitten bless her. She's fast friends with my 8m old ragdoll cross but has weirdly captured the heart of my 11yo rescue girl who has never really liked other cats but will cuddle with a groom little Gypsy!

She has also captured the heart of my OH who asks about her Wellbeing more often than he asks about mine

I had two rescue guinea pigs. One was dumped at the RSPCA and one was taken from a woman who had over 40 piggies. They were adorable but died within two months of each other . My hamster was rescued after I went out for fish food. He died after getting his leg caught in a toy. I was so upset. He was getting to be so friendly and less nervous.

We currently have two rescue Guinea pigs who are so funny and very cute and two rescue cats who were abandoned in a house. They took a little time to realise they had a permanent home and wouldn't go hungry but four years in they are well settled and very happy.

We also have a dog and some fish.

Great now I'm crying reading all these

Bubbles your 8:15 pic is the best one on here. Just adorable.

My old cat was a rescue, I got him from the RSPCA. He was about 10, had a bad chest (cat flu carrier), and had been uneutered all his life (obvs neutered by RSPCA). They think he had been someone's pet but neglected and eventually dumped/left behind. He was very ill when found and had a festering airgun pellet in his scalp.
He was obviously used to being in a house but I think he had been knocked around, he would cringe if I went towards him too quickly.
He did settle and became a very affectionate, contented cat, though he still had some issues and could become very aggressive. Sometimes when I fed him, he would growl and hiss, sometimes scratching for no known reason.
I only had 4 years with him and it saddens me that a lot of his life was stressful and he was neglected.

My current cat is about 3, from a local rescue. Another uneutered tom who is a cat flu carrier. Think this one lived outside as he isnt as afraid of people but seemingly had no clue about living indoors. He is timid and took a while to relax, but is now a friendly, playful cat.

I spent 9 months trying to convince hubby to get cat’s after seeing a mum and four kittens on the website of the local rescue centre. All black and very shy.

Hubby finally agreed and at that point the mum and one kitten had gone. They had all been bought in the wild and only came into the centre at 10 weeks old and didn’t get masses of human interaction.

We walked by loads of other cats who were all very friendly but I had my heart set on these. Hubby suggested we get two so we went for a boy with a white patch on his chest and an all black girl. The other one we never actually saw as she was so shy (she eventually was paired with another older cat and rehomed together).

It’s been 6 years and despite the vets not being able to handle them so they are classed as semi feral, they are like two shadows. Total opposite personalities and so incredibly loving. We know they will never be lap cats but it doesn’t matter.

The third picture shows their size difference which amazes a lot of people as they are from the same litter.

Oh and those are my two favourite pictures of each

Meet Kai our rescue dog- he's a beauty 😍

I had wanted a small dog for our family and had decided on one that didn't shed hair so I struck on a Yorkie which I felt were really cute. They were very fashionable at the time and I had read loads of horror stories about puppy farms so decided to look for one at a rescue. Eventually we came across a small breads rescue charity. I kept looking at their website for a suitable dog. Eventually I saw a lovely looking dog with a super temperament but he was in Wales and we live in Scotland! After some days of toing and froing we arranged to go see him and pick him up. But it snowed and we couldn't get there and had to leave it another week hoping that no one else wanted him. Eventually we got to see him. He his much bigger than most Yorkies and is bald on the main part of his body, but we love him to death even 8 years later

Here is our dog Billy the Yorkie.

We have rescue guinea pigs from a centre in St Albans. We got these girls 3 years ago. The one on the left sadly passed away earlier this year, so we adopted a new single guinea pig, who was not only recently bereaved but her owners didn't want her anymore. She and the one on the right are now the best of friends and live happily together.

So many amazing pets on here :)

@grumpysquash3 I love Piggies. If it wasn't for the cats I would have some again, such lovely little creatures.

Our cat had been in and out of at least 5 homes/catteries prior to us. She may also have been honeless for a while. The vet thinks she was about 2 when we got her and had, had at least one litter. Sad start.
We took her from a lady who had only had her a few weeks but found the fur was affecting her breathing problems so she couldn't keep her.
The cat was very reserved and quite timid. It took her ages to settle but I guess, she'd never had chance to in previous homes so maybe she didn't know how to.
She's about 4 now, still a bit skittish and easily spooked but very, very affectionate and tolerant of the boistorous child. She still won't go near many people apart from us (she runs away) but she is a happy lap cat with us which we never expected.
It was quite sweet when she settled though because she reverted to acting like a mad kitten!
She hates other cats and still constantly asks for food and then scoffs it in 2 seconds.
Last year she had to have a series of serious ops which meant she had to stay overnight in the vets. The first time the vet said she just hid in the corner of her cage trembling and wouldn't be comforted. They had to move her away from the cat section because she became so distressed by the other cats. When I collected her, she lept out of the cage, into my arms, then dashed straight into her carrier and wouldn't come back out for days. We ended up moving her food, litter tray etc near her cage. She wasn't in pain, just traumatised.
The second time she was just as upset but we had to really build her trust back up because she went back to how she was when we first got her and wouldn't come near us. Very aloof and uninterested.
She's OK again now but when they say cats don't remember things,I'm not sure that's right. Her life pre-us has definately left an impact on her.
We are her last home though and she seems ver contented.
Sorry that was long.

Long story! My cat turned up at an elderly woman's house with two other female cats. She couldn't manage much but she had them neutered and fed them what she could. He lived in a broken green house there for 4 years. Nobody knows where he was before, but it seems he was on the street for a minimum of 4 years which is astounding to have survived
When she died it left him and the others with nobody so cats protection took them in. He had a flea allergy and cat flu. It later turned out he also had a tooth embedded in his nose so he was in constant sinusitis pain

I brought him home, he strolled out the carrier, looked around and promptly sat in my lap. Very much "this home? You my human? Ok then"
He's the most affectionate loving cat I've ever met and even says "mama"

Do I have to post the video of him saying it?

After I came back from 48hrs in hospital (leaving him for the first time). I was that worried he would think I had abandoned him, I got cats protection to look after him
(Right at the end of video) and a few blinks thrown in for good measure!
https://www.facebook.com/olliebobcpl/videos/1513254222052242/

One of my old greyhound used to say 'Herrro' like Scooby Doo.
He'd only do it if all the humans had been out for a while.
I miss him so much.

About 4 years ago I drove my car to the garage for its MOT. Came home, thought no more of it. Within 20 minutes the garage was on the phone asking if I'd lost a kitten. They'd popped open the bonnet and a tiny kitten was wedged in at the back. Apparently they thought it was dead at first but when they picked it up, it moved.
I dashed back to collect it, it was absolutely tiny, skinny, filthy and crawling with fleas. About 7 weeks old, we thought, but we never worked out where he had come from or how he had chosen our car.
He's a big fat lump now, playful and friendly with us but very timid with strangers especially men (the garage men were really lovely with him but I can't help thinking that the shock & noise of being discovered have never quite left him). He sits on my lap every evening and sleeps on me at night although he does love DH also

All animal rescuers are bloody wonderful! I am in tears here, fabulous photos and lovely heartwarming stories.