Jessie, an adorable black and white cat was living on the streets of Louisiana, trying her best to survive.

Fortunately, the area where she spent her days was full of amazing people, and the community always ensured the stray cats were well taken care off.

However, when two shelter volunteers came to trap and neuter these stray cats, they noticed Jessie desperately needed help.

The poor soul was extremely malnourished and one of the volunteers named Maren, decided to bring Jessie home with her. 

Since she was unable to even use the litter box, Maren was worried that maybe an old injury was causing her pain and discomfort. However, the vet assured Maren that her bones were alright with no past injuries showing up on the x-ray.

Jessie couldn’t properly walk due to her malnourishment and this broke Maren’s heart into pieces. She was now determined to turn Jessie into a chubby healthy house cat.

Unfortunately, life had other plans for these two. A few days later Jessie’s FeLV test came back positive, meaning she had feline leukemia.

Feline leukemia is highly contagious to other cats and this meant that little Jessie needed a special home, where she could be the center of attention.

From that day on Maren was constantly searching for the best solution for sweet Jessie. With her sweet personality and unique appearance, her foster mom knew that Jessie would thrive in the right home.

Fortunately, Maren’s friend heard about Best Friends Animal Society. This sanctuary has an amazing program for cats just like Jessie. 

With a special wing dedicated to cats with feline leukemia, Jessie could spend her days surrounded by loving sanctuary volunteers and medical care at the tip of her paws.

Maren immediately contacted Barbara Bornemann, a volunteer working closely with Best Friends Animal Society. Barbara arranged Jessie’s transport and she was soon on the way to her new home!

However, once Jessie arrived at the sanctuary the veterinary staff discovered something else in addition to feline leukemia. Jessie had a unique appearance and her jaw seemed a bit off. 

Turns out, Jessie also has a mild form of cerebellar hypoplasia which explained her wonky appearance to everyone. To make matters worse, poor Jessie tested positive for feline infectious peritonitis shortly after she arrived at the sanctuary.

Since FIP was discovered early on, Jessie had a chance for treatment and a happy life. Her caregivers at the sanctuary provided her with much-needed love and attention, while she received her treatments.

Today, Jessie is an absolute joy to everyone who works at the sanctuary. The volunteers adore her and she spends most of her time napping on their lap. 

Despite all the challenges along the way, Jessie remained the sweetest girl and cuddle bug, not letting her illness take over her life.

The volunteers hope she will find a suitable forever home one day, but in the meantime, Jessie enjoys her life to the fullest at Best Friends Animal Society.