A street cat who was found in terrible shape and close to dying has been given a second chance by a couple who gave her a forever home.
In August 2024, a couple named Mary and Jack were on vacation in Pellaro, Calabria, Italy when they spotted the malnourished and injured cat on the street. It was clear from looking at the cat that she had an infection in one of her eyes, was malnourished and covered in parasites.
Mary told Newsweek that she knew they “had to help” the cat somehow. Even if they were far from home and didn’t have any previous experience of owning a cat, they felt drawn to this sweet stray.
“She was in very bad shape, skin and bones, full of internal and external parasites, with chunks and of fur missing, and a huge infection in her right eye. She wasn’t moving and we later got told she was probably dying,” Mary said.
@cilum / TikTok
After finding the cat, who has since been named Molly, the couple, from Milan, Italy, contacted several animal rescuers in the local area for help. They eventually got in touch with Daniela who runs a cat sanctuary called ll Gatto Nero ODV, and she offered to put them in touch with a nearby veterinarian, as Molly badly needed treatment.
Once they got Molly to the vet, she was kept in overnight.
It was a relief to know that Molly was being helped, but now Mary and Jack were faced with an even tougher problem: how to get the cat back to Milan.
“We weren’t sure what we were going to do with her, but we tried calling all our friends and family to see if they would be able to adopt her, but nobody could,” Mary said. “Our flight allowed pets onboard but just four or five at a time, and of course, there was no space left. I was so sad and couldn’t think about anything else.”
Nonetheless, between Mary, Jack, Daniela and the vet, they worked on getting all of Molly’s paperwork completed so that she could go to Milan. They just needed to figure out the means of transport.
Fortunately, a fellow animal rescuer who Daniela has worked with on numerous occasions reached out to say he would be catching the train to Milan and could take Molly. It was a 10-hour journey from Reggio Calabria but Molly would finally be able to start her new life.
“Molly settled in immediately, and her new flat life fit her like a glove. Her stray days were long gone as soon as she got on our sofa,” Mary said.
@cilum / TikTok
The cat has plenty of space to roam in her new home, she loves cuddling up to her owners at all times, and they’ve taken her on multiple trips already. Indeed, Molly also has a senior dachshund brother who she “jokingly bullies.”
The last year has proved transformational for Molly, who has gone from struggling to survive to now living her best life. Her health has improved dramatically and she’s hardly recognizable from what she once looked like.
Mary shared an adorable post on TikTok (@cilum) showing just how far her dear rescue cat has come in the last 12 months. The pictures show Molly curled up in fear on the street, before showing just how happy and healthy she is now.
The post went viral with over 202,400 views and more than 33,800 likes on TikTok at the time of writing. The online response is beyond anything Mary anticipated, but she’s delighted to share her cat’s rescue journey with the world.
Mary told Newsweek: “The amount of love we’ve received after posting her pictures has been positively overwhelming. We keep glancing at the notifications and try to read all the messages, and we’ve even told Molly about this and she’s loving it too.”
@cilum / TikTok
The TikTok post has already amassed over 700 comments as social media users have hailed Molly’s dramatic transformation since her rescue.
One comment reads: “You don’t understand how happy this makes me! You saved her from a life of suffering. Bless you.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “Thank you for being so amazing and saving this sweet girl. She is so lucky to have you!”
Another person added: “She really [does] have the happiest life now! You have the biggest heart.”
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