Ben Ben, the cat, had the saddest face in the shelter. Everyone who saw him looked away because of how he looked, and for very sad reasons, no one wanted to adopt him too. So, the shelter decided it was best to put the cat down.
Fortunately, a couple adopted Ben Ben at the last minute. You won’t believe what happened one hour after they took him in.
Some cats live in beautiful houses and they get great food and plenty of kisses from their loved ones. However, for Ben Ben, it was the opposite. This tomcat was part of the unlucky few who roamed the street hunting for food and hoping someone would rescue them.
Although Ben Ben lived in the wild, life was quite easy for him because he had a loving mother who took care of him. These two didn’t always have the best meals, and sometimes it even snowed on them, but their love for each other kept them going.
Sometimes Ben Ben and his mother took short trips to the town. Some people in the community grew fond of them, so they gave them food whenever they visited. Others tried adopting the cats, but Ben Ben and his mother had lived too long in the wild, so nowhere else felt like home. That’s why whenever someone took them in, they would flee the very next day.
Unfortunately, this beautiful bond between Ben Ben and his mother was cut short after a tragic incident. That day, Ben Ben’s mother went out alone to hunt. Sadly, on her way back to the wild, a reckless driver ran her over and fled the accident scene. The poor cat lost her life right away.
A few hours later, the residents discovered her carcass and they did what was needed. Ben Ben waited for his mother for hours, but she didn’t show up. Hours soon turned into days, yet there was not a single trace of his mother. Ben Ben went to the town to look for her, but she was nowhere to be found. Soon it dawned on him that his beloved mother wasn’t coming back.
This cat had never lived without his mother, so how would he survive the world out there? The following days were quite tough for Ben Ben. He had no one to protect him and he didn’t even know how to find food. Unfortunately, his situation would only get worse.
A week later, a wild animal attacked Ben Ben and left him with serious injuries. The cat was in so much pain and he lay on the floor, waiting for his end. As each second passed, Ben Ben’s zeal for life also decreased.
Luckily for him, a group of rescuers from an animal shelter heard that some stray animals were living in the wild, so they went on a rescue mission. After walking a few miles, the rescuers suddenly heard an animal meowing. They could tell that the animal was in a lot of pain just by its voice. They followed the cries, and that led them to Ben Ben.
When we saw him, he looked like he had already given up. We lifted him up, but he resisted. He just wanted to lie on the ground. He didn’t want our help. It was so sad, one staff member said.
Apart from Ben Ben’s injuries, the staff also noticed that he seemed to have a permanently sad face. None of them had ever seen a cat with such a disturbing look, so they assumed Ben Ben looked the way he did because he was in a lot of pain. However, they soon learned otherwise.
The staff rushed Ben Ben to a vet, and they learned he had a crushed spine, several deep lacerations, and a cauliflower ear. The medic also told them that Ben Ben would have little to no mobility. No one believed that Ben Ben would make it, but for whatever reason, he decided to fight for his life.
When the staff saw that Ben Ben was determined to live, they joined his faith with theirs. They prepared a nice room for him to sleep, and they gave him enough food to eat. After a few weeks, Ben Ben’s wounds healed, but he didn’t regain his mobility. The staff was also surprised because Ben Ben’s looks didn’t change; his face still looked sad.
After an extensive physical examination of Ben Ben’s face, the veterinarian discovered the reason behind the cat’s odd looks. You see, Ben Ben had a lot of excess skin on his face, so it made his face look sad.
After a few weeks in the shelter, Ben Ben’s mental health became poor once again. The cat got tired of sitting in one spot because he couldn’t walk. He wanted to run and play like the other cats, and since he couldn’t do that, he saw no reason to live.
Each day, Ben Ben watched as many people came into the shelter and walked away with a cat or two, but no one ever seemed to want him. The staff was also worried because no one wanted to adopt Ben Ben. However, one day they got a big surprise when a family walked into the shelter.
This family found Ben Ben’s looks fascinating, so they decided to take him. The staff told them about Ben Ben’s medical condition, but they replied that it wouldn’t be a problem. Well, it would turn out to be one. Three days later, the family returned Ben Ben to the shelter because they couldn’t cope with his physical challenges.
After Ben Ben’s return to the shelter, his mental health worsened. The cat became depressed, and he refused to eat most of the food that the staff gave him. Several weeks passed by, yet Ben Ben’s condition didn’t improve. He didn’t regain his mobility, and he lost weight. At this point, the shelter decided to put the cat down.
Even though it was a tough decision, they couldn’t think of a better plan. Besides, Ben Ben didn’t make it any easier because he had already given up. Well, a miracle was just around the corner.
One staff member at the vet, Lizzie, learned about Ben Ben’s sad story, and she decided to help. She told her boyfriend, Sam, about the tomcat. She also showed him Ben Ben’s pictures, and the young man fell in love with the feline.
“I really want to see some sparkle and glow in those sad eyes,” Sam said. He and his girlfriend had a goal now. They wanted to make Ben Ben happy once again and also fill his life with hope, courage, and love.
The next day, Lizzie and Sam visited the shelter and they signed all the necessary documents. Afterward, the staff brought Ben Ben out of his cage. It was time for him to go to his forever home. The staff told the couple that they wouldn’t be offended if they decided to return Ben Ben, but the couple told them that would never happen.
When they got home, the couple took Ben Ben to the bathroom, and they gave him a good bath. They sat beside the cat, and they didn’t leave his side. Lizzie and Sam took turns cuddling the cat. They did everything they could to make Ben Ben feel loved and wanted. And guess what? It worked like magic.
One hour later, something no one had seen in a while happened. All of a sudden, Ben Ben started purring happily. He had this glow in his eyes, and when Sam and I saw it, we couldn’t hold back our tears. For once in a long time, this cat felt alive and happy, Lizzie said.
Ben Ben became curious about his home. He wanted to know everything about his new parents, and he wanted to see what his new home looked like too. So, Lizzie and Sam showed him around. As they walked around the house, Ben Ben meowed in a high pitch, and his pupils were dilated. All of this proved that the cat was overjoyed.
From this day onwards, Ben became a different kitty. All it took was two people who genuinely loved and wanted this cat to get him out of his shell, Sam said. Ben Ben became a little supervisor in his house. He always checked on everyone to see what they were up to.
Now, here is the most beautiful part. Do you remember that the vet said Ben Ben would never walk? Well, the tomcat proved the animal doctor wrong. Some months after Ben Ben moved into Lizzie and Sam’s house, he took his first steps. And not only did he learn to walk within a few weeks, he also started running and jumping small distances.
“How beautiful! He’s doing so well. No one who knew him before can believe he’s turned out so awesome,” Lizzy told Love Meow in an interview.
Some months later, Lizzie and Sam opened an Instagram page for Ben Ben, but they didn’t know that this act would turn their animal friend into a mini celebrity. Weeks later, some animal influencers found Ben Ben’s page, and they published his story. Everyone loved the animal’s inspiring story. Those who read it looked up Ben Ben on social media and they followed him.
So, how is Ben Ben doing to date? The cat is now eight years old. Although he still has a sad face, he is far from being depressed. Ben Ben is now a happy cat. He gets a lot of love and attention from his family. Ben Ben is now verified on Instagram, and he has 639,000 followers.
