A cat who endured abuse and was left disabled as a result has finally found his forever home, and now he even has two feline siblings who he adores.
Several months after sadly losing her childhood cat in 2023, Hannah Powell felt ready to open her heart to a rescue cat in need of a home. She planned to wander around Houston Humane Society and meet with as many animals as possible, but as it turned out, that wasn’t necessary.
Powell, 29, from Houston, Texas, was instantly drawn to a rescue cat named Joey, who was the only one without any visitors. The sign outside Joey’s kennel explained that he is a survivor of animal cruelty who experienced 10 separate trauma events, one of which was so severe that he was recommended for euthanasia.
After learning what Joey had gone through, Powell told Newsweek that she “was immediately tearing up,” and there was no hesitation in her mind about adopting him.
Joey was one of six cats rescued from the home when he was between three and six months old. In the past, he was evaluated by a veterinarian 11 times, with injuries including skull fractures, bruising of the head, ruptured eardrum, a head tilt, brain injury, dehydration, and liver complications.
“In terms of his disabilities, he has mild cognitive dysfunction and a minor front limb disability,” Powell said. “He walks bow legged with his front limbs, and while he can walk, run, and jump, he has poor balance, so he is a little wobbly and his jumps aren’t always accurate. He’ll either jump to the side or just completely miss. He tends to wipe out a lot or just straight up run into things.”
Joey tends to fall over regularly, and he also experiences seizures occasionally when he’s sleeping.
Despite facing so many challenges, Joey refuses to let that stop him and he still loves jumping and climbing up onto just about anything. In fact, Powell jokes that she was prepared to take on a cat in need of some extra care, but she wasn’t expecting Joey to be so active and energetic (and she’s sure to offer him plenty of cushioning for when he falls).
For the first few days, Powell kept Joey in her bathroom until he was comfortable enough to roam the whole apartment. When he was finally ready a few days later, his eyes lit up instantly.
“I think I cried because it was like he knew that he was home and he was safe, like we had this mutual understanding,” Powell said.
He quickly settled in and has even got two new siblings. A month after adopting Joey, Powell also adopted Mama, and then she foster failed Salem in October 2024. The three cats get along incredibly well, and Joey has proven just how tentative and nurturing he is towards his younger siblings.
“They play constantly and cuddle, Joey would even carry Salem around in his mouth like how mother cats do. That’s his buddy now, but I do have to play with Joey separate from the other cats because they overpower him or he gets shy,” Powell told Newsweek.
Joey’s rescue story is certainly a special one, and Powell couldn’t resist sharing it on TikTok (@hann_roxy) to show others how far he’s come. The post has touched so many hearts, generating over 92,600 views and 22,700 likes at the time of writing.
The online response is beyond anything Powell expected, but it’s been heartening to see just how many people around the world are supportive of Joey. With three rescue cats and two additional fosters, Powell hopes to encourage others to give a rescue animal a second chance.
She said: “I hope my story helps bring awareness to ending animal cruelty, but also to encourage others to adopt those pets at the shelter who aren’t like the others. Houston has a horrible stray animal crisis that I want to bring awareness to and show how to be an ethical but crazy cat lady.”
With over 1,500 comments on the TikTok post, many social media users have praised Powell for giving Joey a loving forever home.
One comment reads: “I am so incredibly grateful for you. Joey now knows nothing but love. A thousand forehead kisses for you both from me.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “Thank you for letting him feel loved.”
While another person replied: “The summary of his trauma is heart-breaking. Thank you for taking him home.”
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The post Tears As Rescue Cat Left Disabled After Severe Abuse Finds Forever Home appeared first on Newsweek.
