Life’s a fairy tale for once-gravely-injured cat

It had all the makings of a good fairy tale: a beautiful princess in peril, helpful friends she’d meet along the way, and a magical transformation. But would Princess the cat find her true love and live happily ever after? Well, once upon a time.

Princess is a 1-year-old kitty with velvety cream-colored fur and big blue eyes that shine like sapphires. But when she arrived at a Los Angeles city shelter, she wasn’t looking or feeling regal at all. She was badly injured, so shelter staff reached out to the team at Best Friends to get her the urgent vet care she needed.

Best Friends’ goal is for all shelters to reach no-kill, and that means working together with 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.

[Tale of a cat princess and the power of fostering]

At the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in West L.A., Princess was immediately whisked away to surgery. Her tail was so damaged that most of it had to be amputated. She also had wounds all over her body, and the vet team worked diligently to clean and close them. In the coming weeks, Princess would go on to have two additional surgeries. But through it all, she kept her sweet disposition, just like a true princess.

Once Princess was stable, she moved into a foster home, where her healing transformation could continue. After her first foster volunteer’s assignment was over, she went to stay with foster volunteer Jamie Kreindler — perhaps guided by some fairy godmother magic.

From the moment Princess stepped paw in her home, Jamie was enchanted. This little cat was trusting and affectionate, and she had impeccable litter box and mealtime manners. But despite her prim and proper behavior, she was practically still a kitten — always climbing, chasing, pouncing, and playing. Even the cone she wore like a crown after surgery didn’t slow her down. In fact, the cone made it easier to carry back toys during games of fetch.

[6 pet foster-win stories]

About a month into Princess’ stay, Jamie realized she couldn’t say goodbye and decided to officially adopt her. (Some dub that a “foster fail,” but around here, we call it a “foster win.”) Today, Princess spends her time taking luxurious naps, feasting on the finest treats, and being adored by her subjects. She doesn’t need a tiara for anyone to know she’s queen of the household.

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.