When rescuers at Love 4 Paws Rescue in South Carolina first met Xena, a 10-year-old cat surrendered by her family, they could immediately tell something wasn’t right.
Her fur was tangled and filthy, her body frail, and her eyes seemed tired from years of neglect.
But beneath that matted coat and fragile frame, there was a secret that would leave even experienced rescuers speechless.
Love 4 Paws Rescue often takes in animals surrendered to municipal shelters, many of them facing euthanasia.
For senior cats like Xena, chances of survival are painfully low.
But what they didn’t expect was that this particular rescue would uncover one of the most unusual injuries they had ever seen.
According to the rescue, Xena arrived at the shelter with two other cats and a dog.
Her previous family had reportedly given them up because they had just welcomed a baby. “We don’t know much about her life,” a spokesperson from the rescue said.
“She was surrendered because the family had a baby. But when we met her, we could see she’d been neglected for a long time.”
Xena’s condition told the story that her family didn’t. Her fur was so matted it reeked of urine and feces. She was underweight and in desperate need of medical attention.
The rescue knew right away that she needed help, fast.
Once Xena was safely in their care, something else caught their attention. “We noticed a bone sticking out of her chest,” the rescue shared.
It wasn’t just a lump or swelling. It looked like a piece of her skeleton was actually pressing against her skin.
Concerned, they rushed her to the vet for x-rays and what they found stunned everyone.
“That bone was her sternum,” the rescue revealed. “The vet confirmed it was an old injury, a break that had never been treated.”
Somehow, Xena had suffered a serious chest injury that had healed incorrectly over time.
No one could say for sure what caused it, but the fact that she had lived with it for years, untreated, was heartbreaking.
The vet tried gently popping the bone back into place, but it wouldn’t stay.
Surgery was considered too risky for a cat her age, especially given her weakened state.
Fortunately, the injury didn’t seem to cause her pain anymore, and her vets determined it wasn’t life-threatening.
Still, the discovery was unlike anything the rescue team had seen before.
“I’ve never seen a cat with an injury like that,” the rescue said. “Both the vet and I were perplexed. It was definitely old, but how she got it, we can only guess.”
For many cats, years of neglect and an untreated injury would leave them withdrawn or fearful. But Xena surprised everyone.
Despite everything she had been through, her spirit remained unshaken. “She has the most affectionate personality,” her rescuers shared.
“She follows us around and nudges us for kisses. She’s incredibly loving and social.”
Her story quickly gained attention after Love 4 Paws Rescue shared photos of her transformation online.
In the pictures, her freshly groomed fur and bright eyes tell a new story, one of survival and second chances.
“She will only know love from here on out,” the rescue wrote. “She’ll never have to worry about being neglected again.”
Right now, Xena is on a treatment plan for several health issues, including a urinary tract infection, coccidia, and liver concerns.
She’s also on a special diet to help her gain back the weight she lost. Slowly but surely, she’s healing, not just physically, but emotionally too.
And there’s more good news. Once she’s healthy enough, Xena already has a family waiting to adopt her. “She has an adoptive family lined up,” the rescue said.
“They’re waiting for her to finish her recovery before she goes home.”
For now, she’s staying with Love 4 Paws Rescue, where she’s getting all the care and affection she was denied for so long.
She spends her days soaking up attention, napping in soft blankets, and reminding everyone around her just how resilient animals can be.
The rescue hopes Xena’s story will raise awareness about what shelters and rescue groups deal with every day.
Across the country, countless animals like Xena are surrendered, neglected, or abandoned, many for reasons as simple as a move, allergies, or financial struggles.
But for every heartbreaking case, there are rescuers and volunteers working tirelessly to give these animals a second chance.
Xena’s journey is a powerful reminder of that. Her past may be marked by pain and neglect, but her future is filled with promise and love.
The once-forgotten cat with the broken chest now has a new beginning and she’s finally getting the care she always deserved.