From Rescue to Renewal
In August of 2022, my life unexpectedly shifted when a small beige Sphynx cat—then named Dana—appeared on a Sphynx Facebook page I followed. Her photo was hard to look at: painfully thin, crusted with debris, and clearly struggling. For a week I watched hundreds of people comment in heartbreak, begging for help… yet no one was committing. She was too far away, too sick, too complicated, too expensive.
I didn’t have any extra time or extra resources either. But what I did have was the nagging feeling that if someone didn’t step in soon, her story was going to end right there.
So I reached out.
The owner told me she had been sick since she was four months old. He was tired of her. She peed everywhere. He didn’t want to deal with it anymore. Her rehoming fee was $50, and I could pick her up in exactly twelve and a half hours—the exact amount of time it would take me to reach Bloomington, Indiana.
That was the moment I knew:
If I didn’t go, no one would.
And Jada deserved a chance.
August 24–26, 2022 — The Rescue
I found a friend willing to join me, packed the car, woke up at 3 am the next day, picked up my friend and off we went. When I arrived, her condition was even worse than the photo. Lethargic. Wheezing with upper respiratory distress. Covered in fleas. Her living space was filthy—unscooped litter, dry water bowl, flies in her food dish. When I touched her, my fingers came away coated in brown grime.
The owner handed me nothing but a piece of paper to sign. No carrier. No goodbye. No emotion.
I picked her up—fast—and walked out.
At a nearby pet store parking lot, we gave her a makeshift “lot lizard bath.” That’s when I discovered she wasn’t a dark tabby Sphynx after all… she was actually a beautiful beige girl hidden under layers of dirt.
Her third eyelids were so exposed that I could barely see her iris color. It was obvious she needed immediate medical care. We skipped the hotel, bought road supplies, and started the 12.5-hour drive back home.
By the next afternoon, thanks to a vet clinic willing to take her right away, we had answers:
• severely dehydrated
• upper respiratory infection
• urinary tract infection
• dual eye infections
• flea bites and exposure
• ear mites
• barely seven pounds even with her shirt on
More tests would come later, once she was strong enough. For now: quarantine, antibiotics, eye ointment, appetite support, hydration options, lots of love and a new name to signify her new life. She became Jada—a name chosen to mark new beginnings and healing.
August 29 – September 1, 2022 — The First Signs of Hope
Five days after rescue, Jada’s spirit began to peek through. She was vocal, sassy, spicy, and making biscuits like a tiny baker. Her urine cleared. Her stool became formed.
Best of all? Zero potty accidents.
By September 1st her eyes had improved drastically from the meds. She strutted around in her new clothes like a model, annoyed whenever I paused her fashion show for photos. She was hydrating, eating, and letting me hold her a little more each day.
Love, care, good food, and safety were already rewriting her story.
September 7–12, 2022 — A Sudden Downturn
Day 15 after her rescue, Jada began to decline. Her appetite dropped. Her behavior changed. Something wasn’t right.
A specialist appointment was scheduled immediately.
September 8th:
She refused food and water unless syringe-fed every two hours. She vomited at 4 a.m. My nerves were unraveling.
The vet results came in:
• elevated white and red blood cell counts
• uveitis
• possible entropion
• dehydrated
• negative for FIV & FeLV (thank goodness)
• kidneys functioning well
They didn’t know exactly what was wrong. The tests contradicted one another. Her body was fighting something—but what, no one could say.
She came home with fluids, B12, medications, and a wide-net treatment plan. All we could do was wait and support her body while it fought.
September 12th:
Those days were emotionally excruciating. I prayed, pleaded, begged for her to stay. Just when it felt like hope was slipping away, Jada made a decision:
She fought back.
She fought the meds.
She fought syringe feeding.
She fought being purrito-wrapped.
She fought the appetite stimulant on her ear.
But most importantly…
she fought not to fade anymore.
She walked to the food bowl on her own—determined to eat unassisted.
That tiny show of defiance was everything.
October 19, 2022 — A Brighter Day
At her follow-up appointment, Jada rode in the car seat like a seasoned traveler—something she used to despise. I joked that it only took “how many years and how many animals,” but Jada clearly decided self-care mattered now.
Her recovery was fragile but real. We kept moving forward.
November 29, 2022 — Answers for Her Eyes
The ophthalmologist brought both bad news and hope.
Bad news:
Jada had lower lid entropion, likely caused by chronic, untreated feline herpes virus inflammation. Her lower lids had curled inward.
Good news:
There were treatments—and even surgery—available.
We began twice-daily ointments and gentle lower-lid massages to reduce inflammation and encourage the lids to return to proper position. It was subtle, but after a week, I already saw improvement.
If her progress continued, we could avoid surgery.
If not, we would face it head-on.
Either way, she wasn’t battling this alone anymore.
May 4, 2022 — Jada’s First Adoption
May 4, 2022 — Jada was adopted!
Every step of her story — every high, every low — had led to that moment of promise. She finally had a home and a chance at the life she deserved. No one knew then that her path would twist, turn, and eventually lead her back into rescue. But on that day, she was celebrated, cherished, and welcomed with open arms.
This is a moment worth honoring — the first time someone said,
“You belong with us.” who gave Jada so much love and I will forever be grateful to them.
July 20, 2025 — Welcome Home Again, Sweet Jada
Life shifted unexpectedly for Jada’s adopter — a deeply loving person who adored her wholeheartedly. Their circumstances changed in a way that no longer could support Jada’s needs and they had to make the heartbreaking decision to do what was best for Jada. With tremendous love and heartbreaking grace, they made the selfless decision to return her to us.
That is what true devotion looks like: choosing the animal’s well-being above your own heartache.
On July 20, 2025, we welcomed Jada back with open arms.
She walked in with her soft purrs, her gentle face rubs, and that familiar charm that makes everyone fall in love. Because stress can trigger her, we’re taking her transition slowly — quiet rooms, calm routines, familiar faces.
She’s settling in beautifully.
Welcome home again, Jada.
Let’s find you the forever home that matches the depth of the love you’ve always known.
Looking Back — The Woman She Let Me Become
Jada’s journey, albeit still continuing, coincided with one of the more difficult emotional seasons in my own life. Taking her in wasn’t the product of having extra bandwidth or being a hero. I was just a person with fears, insecurities, limitations, and questions—just like anyone else.
But sometimes life places an animal in your path who needs you more than you need yourself.
In rescuing Jada, I had to show up despite my own struggles.
No excuses.
No second-guessing.
Just doing what I knew was right.
She didn’t just heal under my care.
I healed alongside her.
Her fight reminded me that broken things can mend.
That love restores.
That hope is worth choosing—even when the outcome is uncertain.
From a flea-infested room in Indiana to a warm home full of care, Jada clawed her way back to health, dignity, and joy.
And I am endlessly grateful that I could help rewrite her story…
because, in many ways, she helped rewrite mine too.
Fur The Love of Fostering 
Leave a comment