Anastasia came to us in the spring of 2021. We’ll never know her exact age, but we could tell she was probably less than a year old.
Each cat who arrives at the sanctuary has their own unique history. Some need extreme medical care, others need to heal emotionally. Little cougar Anastasia needed both. Many of the cats’ stories are unclear. We get bits and pieces and often the story changes. But the one constant is they need us.
When we received the call about Anastasia, we knew things were dire. Purchased as a pet but unsocialized to people, she ended up outdoors on her own. She couldn’t fend for herself, was starving and emaciated. We’re thankful good Samaritans intervened to get her to our sanctuary.
Life at the Sanctuary
Anastasia’s intake exam was so concerning. She’d been bitten in several locations. Her tail was degloved. At only 22 pounds, she was
extremely underweight and dehydrated. Anastasia also had a urinary tract infection, low thyroid and giardia.
Seeing how badly injured her face was broke our hearts. But helping cats like Anastasia is what we do. With proper treatment, her physical injuries healed. But there were still emotional issues to deal with, too.
We built a special habitat designed just for her. It had places for her to hide in plain sight to feel safe. It was also located in a part of the sanctuary where caretakers walk by many times daily. We wanted her to get used to humans, to see that there’s nothing to fear.
She hasn’t shown any interest in any of her cat neighbors. We set up a trail camera so we could monitor her behavior.
It’s funny how Anastasia likes to keep her enjoyment hidden. We’ll see her knocking around her toy ball, her bowling pin but if you were to walk up then, it’s as if she says “What, you didn’t see me playing, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
She’s shown so much progress during feeding time. At first, we had to put her food on a very long pole and stick it through the fence to reach all the way to her. It’s taken a lot of time and patience, but she’s now coming up, taking food from tongs with her caretakers – a huge step in trusting for this little girl!
Each cat is so different in how they adapt to life here at the sanctuary. Anastasia can live life on her own terms and we’re so proud of the progress she makes every day.
How You Can Help
Our sponsor program is what makes top notch care possible for our residents like Anastasia. She’d love to have you as her sponsor parent! Or even a one-time donation toward her care would help so much, too.
You’ll find buttons at the top of this page if you’d like to help Anastasia in a very special way. Thank you!
