Couple has sweetest response when starving cat asks for help
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00:00 She hasn't had an easy life.
00:01 She was very afraid.
00:02 She's really malnourished.
00:03 She's been through a lot.
00:05 We are Jonathan and Julia
00:08 and this is Lucy's story for GeoBeats.
00:10 We moved to Cyprus for a little bit now.
00:13 The first time we saw her,
00:15 she was in the back of our garden
00:16 with her two kittens.
00:17 We could only see her from afar
00:19 because she was very afraid,
00:20 but we could already tell
00:22 that she was like severely malnourished.
00:24 She had wounds from wingworm
00:26 and I think also some from fights.
00:28 We started to put up food for them
00:30 and water.
00:31 In the beginning, we put up the food
00:32 and then we had to go back inside
00:34 because she wouldn't come close
00:35 if we would be there.
00:36 Hi!
00:36 But she was waiting in front of our door
00:38 every morning,
00:39 standing there hungry all the time.
00:40 She was basically fighting for survival
00:42 every day.
00:43 We already had cats.
00:45 We know that we can't save them all,
00:47 but we decided to take the kittens
00:48 and Lucy in
00:49 because we couldn't touch her.
00:51 We trapped them.
00:52 We had a whole room for them
00:56 where it was just them.
00:57 Every day, we would spend at least five hours
00:59 there, sitting with them.
01:00 Lucy never bit us or anything,
01:02 but she looked extremely unhappy.
01:04 She was always there in the front,
01:05 so she would make sure that all the kittens
01:07 could hide behind her.
01:08 We were questioning our decision a lot
01:13 to even take her in
01:14 because of course we want her to be happy.
01:16 Hi!
01:16 But after the first few weeks,
01:18 we really saw some progress.
01:19 She was happy about being touched
01:24 and she started to like skin scratches.
01:27 It took probably three months
01:28 until she would play a little.
01:29 It's definitely a long process,
01:44 but it's wonderful.
01:45 It was of course a risk taking them in
01:48 because you also never know about the character
01:50 because we couldn't judge them at all,
01:52 in a way.
01:52 That being said, I think independently
01:54 of character, every cat deserves a loving home.
01:56 All three of them turned out to be
02:01 the biggest lovebugs.
02:02 Meow!
02:03 The kittens, they're 100% socialized
02:06 within a few weeks.
02:07 They're sleeping with us every night
02:11 in our arms,
02:12 they're giving kisses all the time,
02:13 they love to lie on the lap.
02:15 The more Lucy trusts us,
02:16 the more you see what an amazing character
02:18 she actually has.
02:19 She really, really loves it
02:20 when you come and scratch her chin.
02:21 It's the most rewarding feeling
02:23 to know that she doesn't have to suffer anymore
02:25 and she will live a better life now.
02:27 It's kind of a cliche,
02:29 but we see them as our children
02:30 and have that special bond with them.
02:31 Sounds non-cat people,
02:33 it sounds ridiculous,
02:33 but obviously that's how we feel.
02:35 You can see that she still loves the kittens.
02:37 She's still cuddling up with them
02:39 and she's playing with them.
02:40 She's spending a lot of her time with them.
02:42 I think it's really important
02:49 that we have a place for them
02:50 and that they're happy.
02:51 I think it's really important that we have a place for them.
02:52 She still gets scared when it's raining outside.
02:55 She's hiding underneath the blanket.
02:57 Maybe she has not so good memories with this
02:59 because she remembers that now she has to hide
03:01 and that it's getting cold.
03:02 Every cat deserves a chance
03:04 and in our experience,
03:06 it's really just a matter of time and effort.
03:08 She just seems to be happy to be inside
03:10 and she does not have any urge to leave this house.
03:12 I think she knows now the kittens are safe here.
03:16 She can relax and lean back
03:18 and just focus on herself and enjoy her life
03:20 and doesn't have to protect them anymore.
03:22 [Music]