Faces of No-Kill: TLC saves sweet mama cat

Everyone who meets Penelope falls in love. She’s a petite young lady with gorgeous white fur and a small gray patch on her head that resembles a jaunty little hat. Adorable. Her tiny, chirpy meows match her pocket-sized frame, and her caregivers at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s Cat World describe her as “endlessly sweet.” But her life wasn’t always so sweet.

Penelope came to the Sanctuary because she needed a safe place and veterinary care to save her life. She was one of 58 cats and kittens who came to the Sanctuary from a shelter that was at maximum capacity. Without the space and resources to care for the number of cats coming in, they were at risk of being killed. Best Friends works together with shelters and other animal welfare organizations to save pets’ lives, giving each one what they need to move out of the shelter and into a happy new life.

It was an emergency from the very start. Cats and kittens were falling ill almost instantly upon arrival. Not only did Penelope have a broken front leg and an upper respiratory infection that made it difficult to breathe, but she also had two kittens who didn’t survive.  

It turned out that many of the cats and kittens had panleukopenia, a common but life-threatening virus for which there is no easy cure. Best Friends Animal Clinic and Cat World staff jumped into action, providing care to keep the felines comfortable while they battled the disease. They also quickly implemented strict quarantine protocols, which helped keep the rest of the cats safe and sound.  

“Everyone rallied and worked hard to treat all the new patients and keep our current patients stable,” says Dr. Jennifer Bledsoe-Nix, a Best Friends veterinarian. Despite heroic efforts on the team’s part, some of the cats and kittens succumbed to panleukopenia, but the rest thrived, got healthy, and in no time at all started going home with adopters.  

[Swift teamwork saves kittens with a deadly virus]

Though Penelope showed no signs of the disease during her stay, her exposure to panleukopenia was especially worrisome due to her already fragile health. The veterinary team provided extra fluids, medication for her upper respiratory infection, and a large dose of TLC. They also fashioned a tiny splint carefully wrapped in colorful bandages to set and heal her fractured front limb.  

While she wasn’t a model patient (she figured out how to shake her leg in just the right way to get the splint off), she maintained her sunny, joyful spirit as she recuperated, charming everyone she met. 

“You couldn’t not fall in love with her,” says Bee McCarroll, one of Penelope’s caregivers. “She was still so happy about everything, despite all that she had been through. She loves to cuddle, and she makes all these cute little chirps.” 

Soon, her bright green eyes sparkled again, her respiratory infection cleared up, and her stunning white fur regained its luster. And, after several weeks of rest, her leg finally healed, and the tiny splint came off for good (no splint shaking needed). While her first steps were a bit wobbly, it wasn't long before she was exploring her new home with her new family.  

[Ailing kitten gets help when he needs it and a kitten friend, too]

“It was a surprise adoption,” says caregiver Grayson Myers. “Penelope's adopters came in with their friends who were intending to adopt a cat. But after hanging out with Penelope, they decided they wanted to adopt a cat too.” They couldn’t resist Penelope’s charm and brought her home that day.

Now, Penelope spends her days lounging in sunny spots, chirping happily as she plays with her favorite toys, and snuggling with her new family.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.