She was too weak to move 🥺
Last year, employees at a Starbucks in California were busy with their usual routine when something unusual caught their attention—a cat was lying helplessly in the drive-thru lane. Sensing that the cat was in distress, they immediately took a closer look and realized she was in dire need of assistance.
They reached out to a local animal rescuer, who then contacted David Loop, the president of Sierra Pacific Furbabies. Upon arriving, Loop found the cat to be severely ill and frail. She was so frightened that she buried her face against the curb, trying to hide. As Loop carefully placed her into a carrier, he noticed a collar around her neck, indicating she wasn’t a stray. When he scanned her for a microchip, it turned out she was registered with another local shelter, but they had no record of who had adopted her. Loop tried to gather more information by asking around and posting on local Nextdoor pages, but no one seemed to know anything about this cat.
“She definitely belonged to someone at some point in her life,” Loop shared. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Determined to ensure that the cat would never be abandoned again, Loop decided to name her Zoey and took her to the vet for the urgent care she desperately needed.
Loop later shared that the veterinarians diagnosed Zoey with an autoimmune disease where her immune system was attacking her own red blood cells. She ended up needing three blood transfusions and was prescribed immunosuppressant medication.
“By that time, I was fully committed to her recovery,” Loop said. “I wanted to give her every possible chance at survival.”
When Loop first rescued Zoey, she was so terrified that she became quite feisty, leading the vets to even consider the possibility of rabies. However, as she began to recover and realized she was finally in a safe place, her demeanor completely changed. Zoey transformed into the sweetest cat, eager to cuddle in Loop’s arms.
When the Starbucks employees discovered that Loop had shared a video of Zoey’s rescue, they reached out to express their relief and joy that the cat was on the mend.
After all Zoey had been through, Loop couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye. He decided to welcome Zoey into his own home, making her a permanent member of his family. It’s rare for a rescuer to also become a pet’s forever companion, but when it does happen, it’s truly heartwarming. This was a happy ending for everyone involved.