Maya is an extraordinary kitty, she lives with a chromosomal abnormality, but that doesn’t get in her way of being an Instagram star, expert snuggler, and full-time cat toy aficionado. Recently, we had the privilege of getting to talk to Maya’s human, Lauren. We are so excited to introduce Maya to those of you that don’t know her!
Rocky Beginnings
The beginning of Maya’s story is a rough one. Maya was found crated, behind a restaurant, beside a dumpster in the dead of a freezing winter. Her family prior to this had abandoned her, and she was extremely sick from being left out in the cold. A shelter found her, and listed her for adoption. Unfortunately, things didn’t get much better in fact, since no one wanted her after three months, because of her quirky appearance, she was put on death row. That’s when the Odd Cat Sanctuary came in and saved the day, with hours to spare.
A New Life
This brings us to the next chapter of Maya’s life: her adoption. “I always have followed the Odd Cat Sanctuary, as I always knew I wanted a pet with a disability. They’re based in the same town I live in, so I knew about them. When I saw Maya’s photo, I fell in love,” Maya’s human, Lauren explained. It wasn’t easy getting Maya, though! At this point, Maya was a star due to a viral post from the Odd Cat Sanctuary, and hundreds of people from all over the world applied to be her human! The Sanctuary is extremely thorough, so it took months for Lauren to learn that she was the lucky human.
Who is Maya’s human?
Could Maya’s human be more perfect? When we asked her what drew her to Maya, she told us that she had been coaching the same Special Olympics gymnastics team since she was 12 years old!
“Those athletes have taught me so much about disability and about how everybody deserves the same chance to be loved. And when I saw Maya had a chromosomal abnormality similar to what a lot of my athletes have, I knew it was meant to be.”
Life at Home
So what’s life like for Maya now? In a word, amazing! We asked Lauren what the most rewarding part of being Maya’s mom is, and she said everything. “She is the most adorable, loving cat I’ve ever seen—now that she is comfortable, healthy, and at-home, that is. I just love spending time with her, and she sleeps in between us at night.” However, there is one thing in particular that Lauren appreciates the most, “[her favorite part is] sharing joy and happiness, while also being able to be a voice for those who are a little different. Disability is diversity, and it’s something that deserves to be celebrated.”
Maya now enjoys chicken, string toys, lasers, chin scratches, and chasing shadows/reflections, but she HATES belly rubs and nail clipping. Her current job endeavor is being an Instagram star, and she’s pretty good at it- she has around 150k followers! Additionally, she has a sister named Dragon, who is also a special needs kitty.
What will the future hold?
Adopting special needs cats is not an easy job, but it is an important one. One thing Lauren stresses is that while being a special kitty’s human is an amazingly fun and rewarding lifestyle, it is not always glorious. There is a lot of uncertainty about Maya’s future health due to her disability, as there is with most special needs animals.
We urge you to always choose adoption, and to consider those kitties that may seem a little quirky, they will love you just the same! Maya is an inspiration to special needs kitties everywhere; we’ll close with this from Lauren:
“All my pets have always been adopted. Every animal deserves a chance at having a loving family and happy life. I’ve always been drawn to those who were a little different—the underdogs and the ones left out of the limelight. We would definitely consider ourselves advocates for special needs animals. They might be a little different and require a little more, but it’s beyond worth it.”
