Woman spends months earning a stray cat's trust, then gets the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
May 31, 2026 6:15 PM EDT

This is the vet visit every cat owner fears. 

Every cat finds their pawrent in a different way. Some walk up and choose you, some you meet in a shelter, and others you have to work to gain their trust. Sunny, the cat in Minh's story from Reddit's r/Pets subreddit, chose the latter. She was a stray cat that wasn't very trusting of anyone or anything. It took Minh months to gain her trust, even just enough to trap her. She didn't do it for no reason, winter was coming and Minh knew she wouldn't be able to survive alone. 

Sunny didn't make it easy for her. She didn't like her new indoor life. She hid from Minh whenever she entered the room. But like all cats, with love and patience, she started opening up. One night, she decided to trust again, and from then on, Sunny and Minh were inseparable. It's a love story that's purrfectly superious to Romeo & Juliet, if you ask us.

And then, it happened.

She took Sunny to the vet, and got the worst diagnosis her vet had seen in 20 years. Sunny suffered from hyperthyroidism, and without intervention, their time together would be cut dramatically short. She posted Sunny's story hoping to hear from others who have gone through the journey they were about to embark on. 

These are the words that every pawrent has nightmares over. Of feeling powerless, of having no control over your baby's future. The scary feeling that everything you worked so hard for was about to be taken from you, unfairly.

But there is one thing we know for sure: Cats are resilient creatures, and they thrive when they are loved. If Minh stays by Sunny's side and loves her like we know she will, we're pawsitive that they will pull through. Together. And for many more years to come.

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  • 01
    'What followed was one of the hardest months of my life.'
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Woman hugging her cat after a vet visit, as represented by a model

  • 02
    Hi everyone. My name is Minh. I want to share the story of a little cat named Sunny.
    via mixedminh85
  • 03
    In late August 2025 we moved into our new home. The very first weekend I noticed a tiny cat at the backdoor, skin and bone, malnourished, terrified, but curious. I put a Churu treat on a plate, set it outside, and walked away. When I checked later, it was gone.
    via mixedminh85
  • 04
    I set up a Ring camera in the backyard. She was showing up every single morning and every single night like clockwork. So I started leaving food out twice a day, every day. Weeks went by. Slowly she got brave enough to come a little closer. One day she licked a treat straight from my hand, but she had a firm rule: food yes, touching absolutely not. I respected that completely.
    via mixedminh85

  • Cats are big on boundaries. They like to be touched, but not too much, they like attention, but not too much, and they like to play, but not too much. Especially when it comes to trust. Their untrusting purrsonalities kept them alive outdoors, always vigilant and wary of potential predators. But it's hard to abandon all those instincts, even when you're safely indoors with nothing to harm you. It takes time to open up, and cats teach us that lesson wonderfully.

  • 05
    Winter was coming. I knew she wouldn't survive it outside. So I bought a humane trap, studied the Ring footage, tracked exactly what times she appeared, and made my plan. It took several failed attempts but one night in October I finally got it right.
    via mixedminh85
  • 06
    What followed was one of the hardest months of my life.
    via mixedminh85
  • 07
    She was devastated. She marked the walls, threw herself at the window, hurt herself trying to escape, broke a tooth. I questioned whether I had made a terrible mistake. Every night I lay on the floor of that room, not close, just present, and waited. She hid every time she saw me.
    via mixedminh85
  • 08
    Nearly four weeks passed. I had almost lost hope.
    via mixedminh85
  • 09
    Then one night she crept a little closer. I started tossing Greenies treats across the floor. A treat for a little more proximity. It became a ritual. Until finally she came all the way to me.
    via mixedminh85
  • 10
    Cheezburger Image 10634255616
    via Oleg Ivanov

    A model acting as a woman lying beside her cat, enjoying time together

  • 11
    The moment I will never forget: I left the room one afternoon and heard her howling for me to come back. When I walked back through that door she came straight to me.
    via mixedminh85
  • 12
    She had decided, after everything, to trust again.
    via mixedminh85

  • The love you will get from a cat is like any other. Dogs love everyone, but cats are selective. And once they finally open up, they are like an endless source of love that you will never regret taking the time to invest in.

  • 13
    Today Sunny is my shadow. She follows me everywhere, cries. when I leave, sleeps on my lap. She is the sweetest most loving cat I have ever known. She is my best friend.
    via mixedminh85
  • 14
    After four vet visits we finally have an answer. Severe hyperthyroidism. Thyroid levels of 40. Normal is 1 to 4, disease range is 7 to 14. Her body has been burning itself alive from the inside. She eats more than my two other cats combined yet weighs only 4.2 lbs. Her vet said in over 20 years of practice he has never seen levels this high.
    via mixedminh85
  • 15
    There is a cure called I-131 radioactive iodine therapy. One injection, no sur ry, 95 to 98% success rate. I am doing everything I can to get it for her.
    via mixedminh85
  • 16
    Cheezburger Image 10634255872
    via zeliha turk

    Sick kitten sleeping on a cat tree after vet visit (model representation)

  • 17
    If anyone has been through I-131 with their cat I would love to hear about your experience. And I put together a short video of her story if anyone would like to see it - just ask in the comments.
    via mixedminh85
  • 18
    Chardonnay7791 Hi.... I.have been thru radioactive iodine treatment with two of my cats, and it worked really well. My cats are like my kids (I'm child free by choice) and this decision was a no-brainer for me. If you want more information or to chat more about this, feel free to DM me.
    via Chardonnay7791
  • 19
    Trabethany Your title was definitely tugging at the heartstrings, but the prognosis actually sounds. promising if I'm understanding it correctly. It sounds like you have a wonderful bond, and I hope she heals well so you have many happy years together :)
    via Trabethany
  • 20
    Cheetah FanGirl Oh my gosh sorry I have no experience with this. Just had to say this story brought me to tears. I need updates.
    via Cheetah_FanGirl
  • 21
    Rypley We treated Damascus with 131 when he was about 7 years old and he lived happily and healthily after that to the ripe age of 18 I would do the same again in a heartbeat - absolutely the best choice for him.
    via Rypley
  • 22
    SlipperySnek11 My cat had that treatment a few years ago! She's back to normal now, no side affects that I can remember
    via SlipperySnek11
  • 23
    bigkutta Awww, I wish your cat all the success through this. It will be all good!
    via bigkutta
  • 24
    celestialcranberry WHEN she is better, please show us some Sunny :)
    via celestialcranberry
  • 25
    Imaginary-Suit1088 I was so satisfied to see the 95 to 98% success rate. Sunny is lucky to have you!
    via Imaginary-Suit1088

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