When nine-week-old Sebastian was brought into a vet clinic in Los Angeles after being hit by a car, his future looked bleak.
The tiny kitten had suffered a spinal injury, was incontinent, and the decision had been made to put him down.
But fate had other plans.
Stray Cat Alliance, a rescue group dedicated to saving vulnerable cats, heard about Sebastian’s situation and knew they had to step in.
They reached out to Heather Hlava, founder and president of Under One Sky Animal Rescue, to ask if she would foster him.
Without hesitation, Heather said yes.
“He was set to be euthanized at a vet clinic after being hit by a car,” Heather recalls.
“I knew I had to help.”
When Sebastian arrived at the rescue on April 10, 2019, Heather quickly realized just how much he was struggling. Physically, his body bore the signs of trauma.
Emotionally, he was terrified. “He was scared and his butt and tail were raw from urine scald,” she explains.
The little kitten had been through so much in such a short time.
At first, Heather thought Sebastian might never walk again. His legs were weak and his movement unsteady, and it looked as though paralysis might be permanent.
But over time, something incredible happened. Sebastian began to regain his strength.
Step by step, his wobbly legs carried him a little further, until Heather realized he wasn’t paralyzed after all.
“When he came to me he had a lot of trouble walking,” she remembers. “But he got stronger over time.”
This resilience was just the beginning of Sebastian’s transformation.
Despite the painful start, the kitten’s playful spirit soon emerged. He began chasing toys, enjoying cuddles, and exploring the world around him with a sense of wonder.
Heather could see that Sebastian was determined to live life to the fullest, no matter the challenges.
One of his favorite activities now is spending time outside in the rescue’s enclosed outdoor space.
Under Heather’s watchful eye, Sebastian races around, chasing bugs and leaves with pure joy.
“He loves running around and chasing bugs and leaves,” she says, adding that these simple pleasures highlight how much he has overcome.
What makes Sebastian’s story so powerful is that it challenges the idea that injury or disability should define an animal’s life.
Heather sees him as living proof of how incredible the body can be at healing and adapting.
“Sebastian is a wonderful example of how awesome the body is at healing itself,” she explains.
Her hope is that by sharing Sebastian’s journey, more people will understand that disability is not a death sentence.
Cats and dogs can adapt to challenges with surprising ease, often more easily than humans facing the same struggles.
“I just wish more people realized that disability is not a death sentence and that animals actually adapt to these kinds of situations easier than people do,” Heather says.
Even with his rocky start, Sebastian has developed into a confident and charismatic cat.
He may not be the most affectionate with people, often preferring the company of his feline friends, but that doesn’t make Heather love him any less.
In fact, she delights in his quirks and mischievous personality. “I love our little baby deer,” she says fondly. “He is the class clown of the bunch.
He always makes me laugh with his goofy ways.”
It is hard to imagine that just a few years ago, Sebastian was facing certain death.
The thought that such a bright, funny, and determined cat might not have been given a chance is heartbreaking.
Thankfully, he not only survived but is thriving in the home that was meant for him all along.
Sebastian’s story is more than just a tale of survival. It is a reminder that sometimes the animals society writes off as hopeless cases are the ones with the most to give.
With love, care, and patience, they can go on to live happy, fulfilling lives filled with play, companionship, and joy.
For Heather, fostering Sebastian was never about saving one cat.
It was about showing the world that every life matters, no matter how small or broken it may seem. Sebastian’s survival is proof of that truth.
Today, Sebastian is not defined by the accident that nearly ended his life.
Instead, he is celebrated for the life he leads now, full of energy, mischief, and resilience.
He may have been the kitten nobody believed would make it, but he has grown into the cat that proves anything is possible.