When Meagan Licari, the heart and soul behind Puppy Kitty NYC, crossed paths with Figaro, it was a moment that warmed her heart forever.
Figaro was in the midst of an emergency animal hospital stay, receiving treatment for severe facial trauma that was difficult to fathom.
Source: @figaroandhisfriends
Meagan remembers, with tears in her eyes:
“He was so tiny and was missing basically half of his face. It brought me to tears to see this little guy with such horrible injuries.”
Figaro, born on the rugged streets of New York City, had already borne the scars on his face when a small rescue group reached out to Puppy Kitty in New York for assistance.
“He was extremely scared and borderline feral.”
However, Meagan was resolute in her mission to provide Figaro with the care and love he so desperately needed.
Source: @figaroandhisfriends
Though the vets couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause of Figaro’s facial injuries, they believed he might have been in a tussle with another animal. Perhaps a raccoon or a large cat, or even had a run-in with a live wire.
To mend the extensive damage, Figaro courageously underwent not one but two reconstructive surgeries, with most of his teeth from one side of his mouth removed. As Meagan explains:
“He spent about a month in the hospital after his initial rescue, and then three days for his second surgery.”
Source: @figaroandhisfriends
During his stay in the hospital, Figaro, once wary of humans, slowly but surely let the veterinary staff and Meagan shower him with affection.
This transformation turned him from a frightened kitten into a friendly and lovable cat.
When Figaro was finally discharged, he was a world away from the scared little creature Meagan had first met.
She was overjoyed to bring him into her Queens home as a foster kitten, where he spent two weeks crated with an E-collar.
Fast-forward four months, and this resilient six-month-old feline is thriving, despite his initial aversion to face cleanings and medications.
“He also hates being medicated because his beginning stages of life were all doctors and medicine.”
Meagan explains, understanding the root of his anxiety. In addition to these hurdles, Figaro is a bundle of joy, enthusiastic about life, and free from pain or eating troubles.
“He is first to the food bowl and will growl at the other cats. He can eat dry and soft food, but we stick to mostly soft. He also loves human food and is always trying to steal it.”
Source: @figaroandhisfriends
But Figaro’s love for life doesn’t stop at mealtime. He’s a playful spirit who relishes bird-watching from the windowsill and snuggling up on Meagan’s pillow, a testament to his remarkable transformation in such a short time.
“I wish more people would adopt the harder to adopt kitties instead of kittens or purebreds,” says Meagan.
As time went by, Figaro’s recovery process was a complete success!
“Figaro is so, so special, and taking care of him has been a true honor.”
Even though the initial plan was to foster him, help him recover, and find him a fur-ever home… Meagan soon realized that his fur-ever home found him. She was not going to let go of him ever again.
“He means the world to me! He represents why I rescue and is a testament that rescue works!”
To follow Figaro’s heartwarming journey, don’t forget to check out his Instagram page.
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