Aoife (pronounced EE-fa) was named by her foster mom, and she chose Aoife because it means beautiful in Irish.
When Aoife was initially rescued as a kitten, it was thought that she had flat kitten syndrome and an inguinal hernia, both of which can be fatal illness.
But it turned out she had a bad case on intestinal parasites instead.
Poor little Aoife was in bad shape indeed.
Thankfully, internal parasites can be gotten rid of.
Her severe hip dysplasia and curved spine, however, were here to stay.
Special needs
Aoife’s severe hip dysplasia coupled with the large curve of her spine has resulted in the immobility of her hind legs.
As a result of her spinal deformities, she is incontinent, so she needs to have her bladder and bowels manually expressed several times a day, every day.
So when her foster mom was vetting people to potentially adopt her, her standards were very high.
Sabrina De Matteo and Jimmie Brenton were up to the challenge of caring for her.
They spent two months visiting Aoife and learning how to care for her special needs before they were eventually able to adopt her.
And they decided to share their journey of caring for their first special needs cat on an Instagram page made just for Aoife, to show the world that disabled cats can live happy healthy lives like every other cat.
No holding her back
Once Aoife got settled in her new home, her fiery personality began to shine.
She is a force of nature, especially when it comes to food!
Her owners De Matteo and Brenton have also posted videos showing some of the ways they take care Aoife’s special needs, like changing her diaper, for those who are curious or who might have special needs cats of their own.
Most of all, they spread the example of Aoife and how resilient and determined she is.
She never lets her disability get in the way of doing the things she wants to do, even if it takes some practice to get there.
And with all the accommodations that De Matteo and Brenton have made to their home to help her out, and the attentive care they give to her every need, she is now clearly living her best life.
