This story introduces you to Yvette, a cat-loving lady with a big heart. 

The main reason she is so special is not only because she adopts cats and gives them a second chance in life, but because she adopts cats with special needs and gives them the life they deserve!

The first time she became a cat parent was when she adopted Ivar. His story is truly heartbreaking, but eventually, he got lucky thanks to Yvette. 

She found him as a kitten on Galveston Island, but nobody knew anything about him. He was either abandoned by his mother or his family. Apparently, nobody wanted to adopt this furry boy because he was too aggressive.

The reason for Ivar’s aggressive behavior was improper socialization, but there was more. This poor boy was blind, so his aggression was probably a result of fearing the unknown. 

When Yvette saw Ivar, she knew adopting him would be a great challenge. However, she was prepared and determined to give him the life he deserves, especially after seeing the “surprised” look on his face.

Soon after adopting Ivar, Toad came along. He wasn’t any luckier than Ivar before Yvette found him. Toad was born with Radial Hypoplasia, a congenital condition that causes underdevelopment of the front limbs.

Yvette knew that adopting Toad was the right thing to do, just like with Ivar. She learned that a special needs cat can love you as much as a perfectly healthy one. She said:

“Toad is a love bug all day long. He wants everyone to love him, and he just wants to play and eat snacks. Toad is an all-around happy little guy.”

After adopting two special needs cats, Yvette realized that her mission was to care for cats that were not as easily adoptable due to their disabilities. She said that different doesn’t necessarily mean difficult, and I couldn’t agree more.

Her journey as a mom of special needs cats continued, and she couldn’t be happier. Then she adopted not one cat, but siblings – Jenni and Fred.

The siblings were born with Tibial Hemimelia, a congenital condition where the back limbs have a short or absent tibia bone.

Besides these four special needs cats, Yvette has a beautiful Maine Coon cat named Alice, whom she calls “the queen of the house!”

Yvette explained that each of her cats has different personalities, and that’s completely normal. However, Ivar is very special and temperamental, so introducing him to her other felines was the biggest challenge. 

Ivar doesn’t like changes often and needs more time to relax around other cats. For that reason, she slowly and carefully introduced the cats to each other, which took about three weeks for Ivar to accept and become friends with them.

Taking care of special needs cats requires more patience and attention. Most cats will need a secure and specially prepared area, depending on their disabilities. Yvette says:

“Jenny and Fred require stairs and low entrance litter boxes. Toad requires several throw rugs throughout the house because he bounced from place to place, and rugs help stabilize himself better when landing.”

When it comes to Ivar, he always needs a clear path, so Yvette tries not to move anything around the house and sticks to a specific routine.

Overall, her cats mostly get along. Of course, there are moments when they don’t, but that’s normal, and I’m sure that every parent of more than two cats knows that.

The most important thing is that Yvette is happy with her mission, and loves all of her cats. She wouldn’t have it any other way and considers herself very lucky to have them in her life. She said:

“I would say to anyone considering adopting a special needs cat to research the cat’s condition to assure they can accommodate their needs emotionally, physically, and financially. But, a special needs cat is as loving and playful as any other cat.”

I understand that not everyone can do what Yvette did, as adopting a special needs cat comes with even greater responsibility. 

However, I’m sure that some of you are born to do this and that you’ll consider it after hearing this truly heartwarming story!