Elle

Elle is a tiny kitty with big eyes, bigger whiskers, and an even bigger spirit. Discovered on a farm after her mother abandoned her at just three weeks old, Elle was rescued by her now-cat dad, Roland, and his partner, Kristen, who instantly knew they’d give her every chance at life. They aptly named her Elle after Eleven from Stranger Things - a misfit superhero in her own right.

After countless vet visits and X-rays, her condition remains a mystery. Several of her vertebrae aren’t properly connected, and she also had a dislocated hip and minor injuries when rescued. Whether her paralysis was congenital or caused by trauma will never be known - but what’s certain is that Elle refuses to let it slow her down. She zooms through the house, climbs with determination, and holds her own against cats three or four times her size.

It’s a common misconception that “special needs” means a difficult life or one full of suffering - but Elle proves every day just how wrong that is. She’s feisty, curious, and endlessly loving. A living reminder that disability doesn’t define worth, Elle inspires us all to see that different is just another word for extraordinary.

Interview with Elle's Guardian, Roland

1. How did Elle become mobility challenged?
   After many vet visits and X-rays we can conclusively say that we have no idea how her disability came to be. She has several vertebrae that aren't properly connected and it can't be determined if it was from an accident or congenital. She was discovered this way as a kitten from a litter of farm cats just after turning 3 weeks old when her mother abandoned her by a coworker. I assume it was probably from an accident as she also had a dislocated hip and other minor injuries when she was rescued.
2. Where does her name come from?
   She's named after the character Eleven from the series "Stranger Things" as the show had just premiered around the time we adopted her. We thought it was fitting given that she was our own found "misfit". 
3. What's her personality like?
   She's a very curious and friendly cat. She loves meeting new people and is very feisty. She has no problems holding her own playing with other cats 3 or 4 times her size, she only weighs about 5.5lbs… And activity preys on our other cats, especially Binks who weighs over 20lbs!
4. What made you decide to adopt a special needs kitty?
   We could tell she was a very special kitty when we first met her. I met her at work actually, a coworker discovered her in a litter from a farm cat that had abandoned her and had no choice but to bring her into work one day. My coworker was unable to provide the care needed so my partner and I had a very short discussion about adopting her and we got her on Sept 25th, her one month birthday. We didn't weigh the pros or cons of adopting a special needs cat at all and just knew that we would give her every chance at a normal life that we could.
5. What's the biggest change since Elle came into your life?
   I haven't had a proper vacation or even been able to leave the house for more than about 10-12 hours at a time since adopting her! It's hard finding cat sitters that can care for paraplegic cats. 
6. Your best piece of advice?
   I get asked this often but I think the only thing I can offer is to continue with the responsibility you've taken on. It can be overwhelming at times and certainly life changing given the amount of time it can take and the things you may feel you miss out on. Everything from vacations to family reunions to expensive vet bills but in the end the rewards are worth it.
7. Is it what you expected?
   We honestly didn't know what to expect. We were new to the whole idea of taking care of a special needs animal but as the months went by we realised that Elle was far more capable at taking care of herself than we realised. Now of course it's become second nature to us and the only thing that's really required of us is to help them go to the bathroom.
8. Any preconceived notions that you often come across that are nothing like reality?
   One of the biggest criticisms we get is that they're suffering and should be put down. I've had to address comments like that since day one and not just from strangers on the Internet but also from friends and family. I can absolutely guarantee that their lives are as full and happy as any other cats. They don't suffer in the least and get spoiled rotten. Many of our detractors, at least the ones we know personally, have been able to change their minds when they get to meet Elle. She has a fire in her that burns very bright and brings a smile to anyone's face that meets her.
9. Best thing about having Elle in your life
   My day starts and ends with Elle. I've learned that I'm her safe place, so to speak. The bond that we share is unique and she treats me very differently than anyone else, always with love.
10. Your favourite story of Elle
    I have so many about her not knowing her limits that it's hard to narrow it down but one time we dropped her off at the vet's office for some tests and we came to pick her up, we had to wait for some time before one of the techs came into the waiting room and asked us to come into the back. When we did, there were 5 people from the clinic gathered around the kennel she was in, one of them bleeding pretty bad and Elle was in the cage, very angry. But as soon as she saw me, she calmed down and literally leapt into my arms! Let's just say she's not too fond of the vets office..