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Near where I live, there's a large canyon with lots of trails for hiking. My sister and I planned to go hiking there one summer day. We hadn't been on the trail for very long when out of the bushes jumped this little tabby cat. She started meowing desperately and running back and forth across the trail. Of course, my sister and I immediately agreed that we couldn't leave her there. We were in the canyon in the desert, where coyotes and bobcats live along with other predators. Not a good place for a friendly house cat.

CAT. PHOTO: PIXABAY / SHEILA SHAFER-ROBERSON

I stayed with her while my sister got the car, and the entire time she meowed at me as if telling me about her terrible situation and pleading with me to help her. Upon further inspection, we noticed she was declawed, so then we knew she must be someone's pet. When I got home, I called the animal shelter to see if anyone was missing her. She had no microchip. I made ads online and looked through classifieds, but no one ever claimed her. We became attached pretty quickly. We named her Willow and made an appointment with our vet, which is sadly when we found out she was FIV+.

After discussing our options with our vet, we decided that we would keep her, and that we could manage her FIV. She has since become a permanent part of our home, where she continually shows us her gratitude. She's gained a whopping five pounds since we brought her in, and she loves chasing laser pointers and hanging with her brother Earl. They are seldom apart and have a lot of affection for one another. As one of our seniors reached the end of his journey, she would snuggle with him and groom him. He loved it, and she gave him comfort in his final days.

PHOTO: MEGAN WEIR

I feel that I was meant to find her, as much as she was meant to find me. She has been a blessing to our home and I hope to have many wonderful years with her.

Story submitted by Megan Weir from Twin Falls, Idaho.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!