Not all animals are… 'perfect'. Some are born with imperfections - like the cat that was born with two noses and is twice as stunning. Some gets their imperfections because of bad situations - like the dog who lost half her face to dogfights; it was brutal, but now she is happy and thriving. These kinds of imperfect pets tend to have a hard time finding homes, even though, arguably, they need them more than most.
Ethan's story is a tragic one with a happy ending. According to Cole and Marmalade, the kitten came from the streets of Dubai and was almost dead when he was found. Seeing him now, what happened to him back then is unimaginable, because he is truly thriving now. He's different and forever will be, but he's got a forever home and is happy, and so are we.
Read more about Ethan's story and see incredible before and after glow-up pictures below!
In late 2020, in Germany, a woman named Begüm Hürer found Ethan in a parking lot. He had a severe infected mouth injury and absolutely reeked. The woman and her husband, not being able to leave the kitten alone to die, decided to do something about it. Ethan was only 4 months old at the time.
"She found him extremely malnourished and in terrible condition," said Silke, who later adopted Ethan. "His entire mouth was infected, and his breath smelled so bad and foul that she and her husband had to open all the windows of the car when they took him to the vet."
It's the compassion that the woman and her husband showed that ended up saving Ethan. They took Ethan to a veterinarian who told them that he suspected the kitten but into a power cable. The condition of his injury was so bad that that part of his mouth fell off at the vet's office. That's only a guess though, no one really knows what happened to Ethan.
"Who knows what this poor baby had to go through?" Ethan's family wrote on Instagram. "I am just so happy that he was found by a wonderful woman who took him to the vet and didn't look away when she saw that he was in need. And that he's living a happy life with us now."
The vet did not expect Ethan to live. All of his teeth had to be removed, but he survived, and slowly but surely, his health started to improve. Eventually, he was ready for adoption. 4,000 miles away, Silke was scrolling through Facebook posts by a group that helps cats from the United Arab Emirates find homes. Instantly, she fell in love with Ethan, and soon, she made the 7-hour-flight to Frankfurt to pick him up.
Although Ethan had such a difficult beginning, he is doing wonderfully today. December 26, 2021 marked one year since his rescue. Of course, there are still some lasting consequences from an injury like that one. Eating dry food can be a challenge for him, but otherwise, he has completely adjusted. He enjoys playing, watching birds, and taking naps - just like any other cat.
Silke named the kitten Ethan after Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible, which features scenes shot in Dubai. Now, Ethan is one of the most loved and pampered kittens ever, receiving toys, a cat tree and endless love from both his new forever family and his followers on Instagram. He is loving his life, and we love to see it.
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