It was one of those scorching summer afternoons when the air feels still and heavy.
Shadi Delshad was out on a walk along a quiet nature trail in Arkansas, trying to enjoy the day, when a faint, high-pitched sound stopped her in her tracks.
At first, she brushed it off as a bird chirping somewhere in the trees.
But as she kept walking, the sound grew louder, weak, broken, and filled with distress.
Something inside her told her to stop and listen carefully.
Following the cries, Shadi made her way off the trail and under a large tree. That’s where she saw him, a tiny kitten, trembling, scared, and barely moving.
The sight was heartbreaking.
The little one’s mouth was raw and bloody, as though the skin had been torn away.
One paw lay limp beside him, but with his remaining strength, he used the other to cling to her shirt as if begging her not to leave.
Shadi didn’t hesitate for a second. She scooped him up gently and rushed home.
Once there, she cleaned his wounds as best as she could.
The kitten was exhausted, too weak to eat, too tired to even meow. Instead, he crawled into her lap and fell into a deep sleep.
Watching him, Shadi could only cry, afraid that he wouldn’t make it through the night.
But hours later, a miracle happened.
After nearly eight hours of rest, the kitten stirred awake. His eyes fluttered open, and though he looked fragile, he was alive.
Slowly, he began to eat a bit of wet food and drink some water. It was the first sign of hope.
Shadi decided to give him a name she had always saved for her future cat, Moosh.
By the next morning, Moosh was strong enough for a trip to the vet. But the news she received there was devastating.
The vet carefully examined Moosh and suspected he had been thrown from a moving vehicle.
His injuries matched the kind seen in cases where animals are tossed onto hard pavement.
“The biggest clue was his mouth injury,” Shadi explained.
“When a kitten lands headfirst, the skin can peel away from the muscle. That’s exactly what happened to him.”
The vet estimated Moosh was only five to six weeks old, far too young to have survived such cruelty.
His limp was due to nerve damage in his right leg, and the doctor warned it might never heal.
Worse, if he kept dragging it, it could develop sores that might lead to amputation.
But there was still a chance.
The vet referred Shadi to a veterinary neurosurgeon in another town who might be able to help. She didn’t waste a moment and scheduled the appointment.
Moosh’s mouth injury was also severe.
The skin had been completely de-gloved, leaving the tissue underneath exposed and vulnerable to infection.
Eating and drinking were painful, but surgery could fix it, if he was strong enough.
Shadi agreed to the surgery immediately. During the procedure, the skin from Moosh’s lower jaw was stretched up to his gum line and stitched carefully in place.
It was a delicate operation, but it worked.
When Moosh woke up, it was as if a weight had lifted. He could finally eat without pain.
His name, “Moosh,” means “mouse” in Persian, an affectionate nod to Shadi’s childhood.
Growing up, she loved a story about a boy who wanted a dog but was given a kitten instead. The boy named the kitten “Dog,” and the two became inseparable.
Shadi smiled at the memory and named her kitten “Mouse” in her own language.
“He’s got those little mouse-like features,” she said. “And he’s a bit jumpy, so it just fits him perfectly.”
Months passed, and Moosh began to heal, though not completely. His right leg remained weak, leaving him with a slight limp.
But he no longer dragged it behind him, and the sores that once threatened his paw healed up beautifully.
He adapted quickly, hopping around the house with surprising energy and curiosity. Shadi was overjoyed to see him come back to life, especially after everything he’d been through.
Years later, Moosh is now four years old and thriving.
He spends his days lounging in the sunlight, gazing out the window, or curling up beside Shadi for naps.
A year after adopting Moosh, Shadi brought home another kitten named Oliver, and the two became instant best friends.
They chase each other around the house, jump in and out of boxes, and nap together like brothers.
Moosh still carries some emotional scars.
He’s shy around strangers and startles easily. Sometimes, late at night, he wanders through the house crying until Shadi picks him up and holds him close.
“I think he still remembers what happened,” she says softly. “He’s been through so much, but he’s safe now.”
Safe, loved, and home, Moosh finally got the happy ending he fought so hard for.