I often say there is a human for every cat; even those with challenges. So when “Jesappleby” entered her cat Finky to the Best Animal Rescue Contest, I was especially touched by the dedication Finky’s new family has towards her.

In this country we kill millions of perfectly healthy animals for lack of homes: it is especially difficult for cats like Finky, with special needs, to find forever homes. Yet these animals offer love and affection to their caregivers without limits.

In her own words:

We adopted our cat Finky from an animal shelter when she was 5 months old. Finky was born without a tail, which has led to deformities in the functioning of her urinary tract. As a result, she is partially incontinent. She is a wonderful cat who is very smart and sweet. We tried a number of medical treatments, even bringing her to a veterinary research hospital, but nothing was able to improve her condition. Fortunately, she is otherwise healthy. We knew we wanted to give Finky the best life possible. Many people encouraged us to give her up or relegate her to the outdoors. Luckily, we came up with a great solution: We found a soft cat diaper available at an online store and decided to try it. The ”diaper” is a soft cloth suit that holds a disposable diaper pad. Joybies Piddle Pads. Each morning Finky gets a bath and has some diaper-free time in a 9 foot tall cat crate (with numerous shelves for her to climb on!). We then put her in her suit and change her regularly. She doesn’t mind wearing the diaper at all and is incredibly happy to snuggle with us and be able to live indoors — it has really transformed our lives. We encourage other people with incontinent pets to consider this as an option.