08/03/2026
💔 LIONEL — THE RESCUE I WASN’T SUPPOSED TO TAKE
I need you to know something before you read Lionel’s story.
Lionel was my last rescue.
I had already made the decision to step away from rescue indefinitely. Not because I stopped caring. Not because I stopped loving these animals. But because I was exhausted. Completely and utterly exhausted.
I had reached a point where I knew I had nothing left to give.
I knew I needed to walk away.
And then Lionel wandered onto a stranger’s porch.
Approximately 10 years old.
Seven pounds.
Just seven pounds.
Lionel is part Maine C**n, and you can see it in his face and those beautiful ear tufts. A Maine C**n mix should be a substantial cat. But Lionel was nothing but skin and bones.
He was covered in fleas.
Full of worms.
Weak.
And his tail had either been ripped away or cut off.
I don't know what happened to him.
I don't know who did this.
I don't know if someone dumped him.
I don't know how long he had been wandering around trying to survive.
I don't know how many nights he went without food.
I don't know how many times he tried to find someone—anyone—to help him.
But I do know that Lionel was hurting.
And when I saw him, I knew I couldn't turn my back on him.
Even though I had already said NO MORE.
Even though I had already decided that this was my last rescue indefinitely.
Even though I was completely drained.
I couldn't leave him.
Because how do you look at a 10-year-old cat who weighs seven pounds, who is covered in parasites, whose body has been through hell, whose tail has been horribly injured, and tell him:
“I'm sorry. I can't help you.”
I couldn't.
So Lionel went to The Ark Animal Hospital in Claremore.
They examined him. They treated him for the fleas and worms. He received Revolution and Drontal and the medical care he desperately needed.
And his tail had to be amputated.
We thought we were finally moving in the right direction.
But Lionel wasn't finished fighting.
His tail opened back up after surgery.
So he had to go back to the veterinarian to be seen again.
And because I believe in being completely transparent about where donations go, I will be posting his veterinary bills.
If anyone would like to help with Lionel's medical expenses, donations can be called directly into the veterinary hospital. I will post the phone number with his bills so that anyone who wants to contribute can contact the clinic directly and specify that the donation is for Lionel.
Every dollar helps this old boy.
Because Lionel has already been through enough.
He doesn't need to know what hunger feels like anymore.
He doesn't need to know what it feels like to be covered in fleas.
He doesn't need to know what worms feel like inside his starving body.
He doesn't need to know what it feels like to have his body injured and abandoned.
He just needs someone to finally choose him.
The woman whose porch he wandered onto is the person currently caring for him while he heals. She had never seen him before he appeared at her home.
And maybe—just maybe—Lionel finally found his person.
She is considering keeping him, depending on how he does with her other animals and cats.
And God, I hope he does.
Because after everything this poor old man has survived, I want the rest of his life to be completely different.
I want Lionel to know what it's like to wake up in a warm bed.
To have a full bowl of food.
To have someone rub his head and tell him he's a good boy.
To sleep without being afraid.
To never again have to wonder where his next meal is coming from.
To never again have to fight just to survive.
I want him to know what it feels like to be loved.
And maybe that's why, even though I had already decided I was done, I couldn't walk away from him.
Maybe Lionel needed me.
But the truth is…
I think I needed to know that one more broken soul could still be saved.
I am tired.
I am still stepping away from rescue indefinitely.
Lionel does not change that decision.
But he is a reminder of why walking away hurts so damn much.
Because there will always be another one.
Another cat starving.
Another cat injured.
Another cat dumped.
Another cat that someone else walked past.
And every single one of them has a face.
Every single one of them feels pain.
Every single one of them deserves to matter.
Lionel mattered.
Even when he was only seven pounds.
Even when he was covered in fleas.
Even when worms were stealing what little nutrition his body had left.
Even when his tail was horribly injured.
Even when his body was broken.
He mattered.
And I hope when you see these pictures, you remember that.
⚠️ EXTREME GRAPHIC PHOTO WARNING
I will be attaching photos of Lionel, including two extremely graphic photographs of his injury.
If you have a weak or squeamish stomach, PLEASE DO NOT LOOK AT THE PHOTOS.
But if you can handle seeing them, look at Lionel.
Really look at him.
Look at what neglect can do.
Look at what abandonment can do.
Look at what happens when an animal is left to fend for himself.
And then look at him now.
Because he is still here.
Lionel survived.
And now we're going to do everything we can to make sure surviving wasn't all he got.
He deserves a life.
A real one.
A soft one.
A safe one.
A loved one.
And for once, I want the ending to be happy. 🐾❤️🩹
