When animal rescuer Meagan Licari walked into the emergency vet hospital that day, she had no idea she was about to meet a cat that would change her life forever.
In front of her was a tiny, terrified kitten named Figaro and half his face was gone.
The injuries were shocking. His jaw was mangled, one side of his face barely recognizable, and he was clinging to life after being found on the tough streets of New York City.
It wasn’t clear exactly what had caused the damage.
Some believed it could’ve been a fight with a raccoon or even an encounter with a live wire.
Whatever had happened, it left Figaro in a critical state and completely alone.
But he wasn’t alone for long.
Meagan, who runs the rescue group Puppy Kitty NYC, was called in to help. And the moment she saw Figaro, it was over.
“He was so tiny,” she said, recalling the first time they met. “It brought me to tears.”
At first, Figaro was understandably wary. He had already been through so much.
With pain, confusion and fear weighing on him, he barely let anyone near.
“He was borderline feral,” Meagan shared. But the team at the hospital, along with Meagan, weren’t going to give up on him. Not now.
Vets moved quickly. They scheduled not one but two major surgeries to repair the damage.
Most of the teeth on one side of his mouth had to be removed. His face had to be carefully reconstructed.
He spent a full month in hospital recovering from the first surgery, and another three days when he returned for the second.
It was an intense process and an emotional one.
But as Figaro started to heal physically, something else began to shift.
The once-scared little stray started to trust. Slowly at first.
He began letting the vet staff pet him. He even responded to Meagan’s voice with curious eyes.
The transformation was happening. Figaro wasn’t just surviving, he was starting to live.
When the time finally came for him to leave the hospital, he went home with Meagan as a foster.
She set up a cozy crate in her Queens apartment, fitted with soft blankets and an E-collar to keep him safe while he continued to heal.
At that point, no one knew what would come next.
But Meagan had a feeling this little fighter wasn’t going anywhere.
And she was right.
Fast-forward four months and Figaro was a completely different cat.
He was still adjusting to things like face cleaning and medication, not his favorite part of the day, for obvious reasons but otherwise, he was thriving.
He’d put on weight, had no problem eating soft food (or trying to steal whatever Meagan was having), and he made his place in the house very clear.
“He’s always the first to the food bowl,” Meagan laughed. “He’ll growl at the other cats if they get in his way.”
But he wasn’t just food-obsessed.
Figaro had found joy in other parts of life too like watching birds from the window, curling up on Meagan’s pillow, and soaking up every ounce of affection he could get.
His journey was nothing short of remarkable. From near death on the streets to a playful, affectionate cat full of personality, Figaro had beaten the odds.
And through it all, Meagan had been right by his side.
Originally, the plan was to foster him until a forever home could be found. But sometimes, the right home finds you.
“He means the world to me,” Meagan said. “He represents everything I believe in. He’s why I rescue.”
So Figaro stayed. And today, he’s not just a survivor.
He’s a reminder that every life is worth saving, no matter how broken it looks on the outside.
For anyone who’s ever considered adopting, Meagan hopes Figaro’s story inspires them to look beyond the perfect kittens and purebreds.
“There are so many ‘harder to adopt’ animals out there who just need someone to take a chance on them.”
And Figaro? He’s proof that when someone does, the results can be life-changing. For both of them.
You can keep up with Figaro’s journey and all his latest mischief on his Instagram @figaroandhisfriends.