Not every creature born into this world has the luck of living in a forever home, but those who do deserve to be safe, happy, and surrounded by people who love them. What more could an animal wish for?
Sadly, there are those pets that have a difficult time finding their forever home. Sometimes birth defects or health problems can make it harder for pets to be accepted because they look or act different than the average cat or dog.
When a cat named Zeke was born, no one thought he would ever be adopted. When you see his face, you’ll know why—and your heart will break for him.
Zeke the kitten needed a home, but things didn’t look good for him. Zeke was born with hydrocephalus, commonly called “water on the brain.” This means that he had a buildup of cerebral spinal fluid in the ventricles of his brain, which gave him a very odd appearance…
While the disease is by no means fatal, it does mean that Zeke looks a little bit different than your average cat. Because Zeke doesn’t look like your traditional cat, it seemed like it would be nearly impossible for him to find a forever home.
That’s when a woman named Lisa Jones heard about Zeke. Lisa happens to work for the Super Hero Animal Hydrocephalus Society, and she arranged for him to fly from Texas to New York. Although she was trying her best to find Zeke a home, Lisa really had no idea how the trip would end…
Lisa realized that, unless she took it upon herself to adopt the little cat, the chances that he would find a forever home were slim. Luckily, one look was all it took: Lisa was in love with Zeke and it appeared that the feeling was mutual! It was a match made in heaven.
At just 14 ounces, Zeke—who was already 13 weeks old—was small for his age. He also had some skeletal disorders and two twisted legs, but none of this was going to slow down this adorable kitten. Not under Lisa’s loving care, at least!
While Zeke couldn’t walk on all four legs properly, he certainly found ways to cope. He quickly learned how to hop to get around, and that he could walk using his elbows. How ingenious is this little guy? He’s truly a special kitten.
While some cats never learn to respond to their names, Zeke is very intelligent and comes running (or hopping) over to Lisa whenever she calls for him. Not only is he smart, but he’s a little bit of a troublemaker, too!
Zeke is constantly trying to climb up everything that’s standing in a vertical position. He’s an excellent climber, actually, though Lisa says that sometimes he can get frustrated when his legs don’t work the way he wants them to. Still, he never gives up.
Zeke isn’t the only cat in Lisa’s home, either. Zeke’s now got an adopted big brother named Super Hero who he can look up to—literally! Super Hero also had hydrocephalus when he was born, so he knows what Zeke is going through.
Without someone like Lisa looking out for Zeke, he might not have ever found true love and happiness with a forever family. It goes to show you that, while some animals might need a little extra TLC, that doesn’t make them any less lovable!
It’s so lovely that such a sweet cat like Zeke found a forever home. It’s inspiring to know that people like Lisa are out there doing what they can to make a real difference in the lives of animals.