Faces of No-Kill: Cat gets help and a home all in one

Mushu is a 6-year-old black cat with a big personality, adorable white-mittened toes, and a very temperamental stomach.

When the sweet girl arrived at the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in New York from a shelter in Georgia, she stole the hearts of the staff and volunteers. They dubbed her their resident “Crunchy Cat” — named after a famous feline on social media whose memes have gone viral for her dramatic facial expressions.

“Mushu’s antics and demanding meow have left a lasting impression on our hearts,” says Lexi Kaul, Best Friends lifesaving care manager.

But Mushu’s journey to happily-ever-after was a bit complicated.

Staff noticed right away that anytime Mushu ate, she’d have major stomach trouble. This meant her body wasn’t absorbing the necessary nutrients to keep her healthy.

New digs, new diet help senior cat manage chronic tummy troubles

The Best Friends team attempted several different diet changes with no luck relieving her symptoms. So they made arrangements for her to get care at PetOne Veterinary Clinic.

Little did anyone know, that call would change Mushu’s life forever — in more ways than one.

The staff at PetOne performed an ultrasound and various tests, all of which pointed to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as the culprit for Mushu’s stomach troubles. Although the condition is chronic and requires lifetime care, pets with IBD can live good lives with the proper food and medication.

“She had a fighting spirit. She wanted to live and love,” says Caitlan Monte, hospital administrator for PetOne.

It was best for Mushu to remain at the vet clinic during her initial treatments rather than shuttling her back and forth because stress can be a factor for IBD flare-ups. She was at the clinic for about a week when they began to see signs of improvement.

Nothing (not even chronic belly blues) outshines this cat’s personality

Everyone was thrilled to see Mushu gain weight and enjoy mealtime. And the veterinary team at PetOne couldn’t ignore another feeling tugging at their heartstrings: They were all falling in love with their new feline patient.

“She's just wonderful, mischievous, marvelous, and amusing,” says Caitlan.

The PetOne team realized how much they loved having Mushu around and didn’t want to say goodbye to her. So they contacted Best Friends and asked to adopt Mushu as their office cat. Of course, Best Friends staff said yes.

Mushu now calls the vet clinic home. She is a loved and respected member of the PetOne team. She also enjoys showing her flare for the dramatics in the videos and photos posted on the clinic’s social media pages.

During a typical day, she can be seen visiting the office receptionist to take over front desk duties anytime they get up from their chair — even if it’s just for a second. She also likes to nap on the heads of staff members in the break room, which is known as Mushu’s Lounge.

But the best part of her day is mealtime.

Mushu proudly flaunts her snowy white feet like a runway model as she zigzags through the legs of anyone who happens to be holding her food. She chows down as soon as her bowl hits the floor — now without a worry in the world.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. 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.