‘We have rescued MANY cats but never seen one who just wanted to love immediately like Cooper did.’: Cat loving family save severely neglected 4-year-old cat who looked like he was 20 due to his ill health, before settling him into his furever home

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Oct 11, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Cat rescues are hardly ever straightforward. They usually contain several severe twists and turns, so much so that your head usually ends up feeling as though it is spinning at a thousand revolutions per second. However, the story we have for you today, thankfully, is an example of the exact opposite of that, well other than the cattos backstory which is more complicated and convoluted than the Minotaur's maze. For it was not clear to the rescuers if this cute catto had been missing for months or years, and not was it clear where this catto had gone missing from.

But his recovery story and integration into his furever home is thankfully one of the sweetest and simplest stories we have had the good fortune of getting to tell. Even if it did require several trips to the vet and a surgery. So settle in and get ready for the wonderfully happy ending that this catto and so many other cat children deserve to their rescue stories.  

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    My parents are known to take in rescues and this starving elderly. baby was just dumped on our property. Help with a name?
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    00 ON PERINA ONE
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    We will be going to the vets tomorrow to scan for chip etc and get these wounds and malnourishment sorted. Either a neutered male or female and an absolute love bug - already curled up on
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    my dad in the isolation room Thinking maybe a Christmassy name?!
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    Last night we got Cooper to the vets and not only did he have a microchip, he had been reported missing by his family a few years ago. He had travelled nearly 10 miles in that time.
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    Unfortunately, the vets haven't managed to get in touch yet so I'm praying to the cat gods that the details are up to date.
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  • Wow, this cat has been through so much. One can only wonder why he ran away from home in the first place and how he managed to survive for all those years he was reported missing only to end up in the sorry state that he has been found in. 

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    In the meantime, we have said we will pay for all emergency treatment and foster him if needed. Good news was though he is very underweight, he didn't look like he had hoes, calci or any other respiratory virus. Instead, his mouth ulcer and
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    virus. Instead, his mouth ulcer and weight indicate kidney disease, so hoping he can get back on treatment asap. We miss him already, he is just such a cuddle bug - but I really hope we can reunite him with a family who loves
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    him for Christmas. Thank you for all the brilliant suggestions of names, and thank you for loving him as much as we do! I've told him he is a celebrity on Reddit
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    The sad news: The vets managed to contact Cooper's original family who have said they do not want him back and 'rehomed' him five months ago. Pretty certain he was dumped. Despite the vet's original
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    assessment that he was an elderly cat, it turns out he is only a baby at four years old. However, he is so malnourished he has lost most of his muscle tone and would not have
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  • Holy guacamole, what kind of unhinged storm of madness has this poor kitten been through. To be thought of as a senior catto, only because of the state that he was in, is truly troubling. Especially when you take into account his vague and confusing origin story. Thank goodness, this catto has found himself a place that cares for his wellbeing. 

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    lasted much longer. He has severe ulcers in his mouth and tongue so is on high-dose steroids.
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    The good news: Cooper has had a full blood screen and appropriate tests, and he is negative for everything including FIV, FELV, kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid etc and all viral infections. He is
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    going to need quite intense nursing for a slow and steady recovery, but we can collect him tomorrow and he will be safe, warm and loved in our foster room. Time will tell whether he is a permanent resident, but
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    regardless he will be treasured and looked after until he is as healthy and strong as possible.
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    FINAL UPDATE Remember Cooper - the starving abandoned baby at risk of amputation? Look at him now!
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    Hi everyone! Apologies for such a delay in finally getting around to updating on Coop. We were a little overwhelmed with how popular his story was - but genuinely moved by
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    the care and interest from all around the world that this poor Kitty received. We even have our two Snoodles framed in the foster room. For those who don't remember or didn't see his original post - Cooper was
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    abandoned and so malnourished he I was on the brink of death when he was found on my parents property (who are known for rescuing animals). He was covered in ulcers and in a very sorry state, but within twenty minutes he
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    had climbed on my dads lap purring. We have rescued MANY cats but never seen one who just wanted to love immediately and above all else like Cooper did. The vet estimated his age originally at near 20 years old. It turned out he was
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    actually only 4 but starvation had made him look like an old man. After his original owner was tracked down via microchip and did not want him (long story), he was relinquished into the care of Cosy.
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    Cats the local volunteer run cat rescue that we foster for. Because Coop was so malnourished he was first hospitalised after he developed dangerous refeeding syndrome - this can commonly happen
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    with starving cats and why you must a) get them to a vets asap and b) feed small meals little and often. Then disaster struck - Cooper was so malnourished that when he fell a small height awkwardly,
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    he shattered his leg and his poor fragile bones. It was above the elbow and a really difficult break. We had the option to either put him to sleep or amputate as the surgery was so expensive - but we wanted to fight for him. Particularly as
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    all his other b d tests were amazing and he had been through so so much for a cat that was only four. At this point, I would like to thank everyone who offered to try and support with his surgery. I couldn't share links to help
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    on here but I appreciated the offers all the same. We went through with a long complicated surgery to pin his leg together and he has been on six weeks cage rest in a tiny cage to restrict his
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    movement as much as possible. To be honest, his orthopaedic surgeon did not think it would hold and all of us are just so ecstatic he has made it to 6 weeks. His surgeon has recommended another two weeks
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    on cage rest and then he has a few months on room rest to try and build up all the muscles that have atrophied. He is also currently on high-dose steroids and hypoallergenic food to support his ulcers healing.
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    Throughout this, Cooper has been the literal embodiment of perfection. As soon as he knew he was safe, he has just been the sweetest, happiest, most gentle animal I have ever met. I can't believe the abuse and neglect he had
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    and yet he remains the most trusting and loving soul. Despite getting on two months in a tiny cage, all Coop wants is love, his grub, and then more love. Currently Coop is officially our foster. When he is well, we
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    will work to do a slow introduction with our current tribe with the desperate secret hope that he will integrate into our family. However, we are taking it one day at a time and no matter what we will do what is best for
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    Cooper. Thank you for all the love you have shown him - it got us through a difficult time.
    via londonlady1988

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wanted seen never reddit story cat story health love neglect family furever home Cats rescued many cat lovers
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