Blacky the cat hasn’t had the greatest luck in life. He lost an eye due to a scratched cornea. Then, a few years later, Blacky was hit by a car. The injury left his hind legs paralyzed, and he lost control of his bladder function. The injured cat managed to drag himself home by using his front paws.
Blacky’s owner, Louise Hopkins of Ashburton, New Zealand, was shocked to discover that Blacky had made it home. She took him to the vet and was advised to put Blacky down due to his extensive injuries. But Hopkins didn’t want to give in that easily, and decided to give Blacky a chance to recover. Within a few weeks, Blacky regained his bladder function. He still couldn’t move his back legs, though he did regain some feeling in them.
Hopkins posted about Blacky’s ordeal on social media, and almost overnight Blacky gained 38,000 followers. Hopkins reached out for help purchasing a wheelchair for Blacky. Thanks to the generosity of Blacky’s fans, the cat now has a wheelchair which he uses to travel about outside. Blacky can speed along paved surfaces and enjoy the outdoors. When inside, Hopkins removes the wheelchair so that Blacky can develop his muscles and strength as he pulls himself around.
Blacky turns ten years old this year, and Hopkins is grateful for the donations and support that Blacky has received. As a way of giving thanks to the community, for the past two years Blacky has given Christmas presents to children who might not otherwise receive presents for the holiday. What a great way of passing a kind act forward.
