Reeling on the roadside, the six week old kitten had been separated from his mother and struck by a car.He had a spinal injury, which left him paralyzed. But he also had a fractured pelvis and a fractured left foreleg.

A woman driving down that road caught a glimpse of grey fur, and her heart was tugged to the roadside. She rushed the kitten to the veterinarian, but when the vet saw his injuries, he had one recommendation: euthanasia.

Already dreading having to say goodbye to the little guy, his rescuer called the only place she could imagine might be able to help: Tabby’s Place.

Unknown to the kitten’s rescuer, Tabby’s Place does not take cats from the public. Our cats come from shelters where they had been scheduled for euthanasia, and the waiting list for shelter cats is hundreds of cats long.

But, Tabby’s Place had received a generous grant from the Paws & Claws Society, given to rescue a future exceptionally needy cat. The only requirement was that this be the kind of feline who couldn’t go anywhere but Tabby’s Place.

When the call came, we knew this was our “Paws & Claws” cat.

The grey kitten promptly commandeered human hearts at Tabby’s Place. Even in the face of devastating injuries, he bubbled over with purrs and chirps, eager to play using his good leg. The staff agreed that this little love deserved a big, courageous name to grow into. And so he became D’Artagnan, of Three Musketeers fame.

Permanently paralyzed in his rear legs due to his spinal injuries, little D’Art is learning how to scoot and scuttle to get around. Thanks to intensive care and tender treatment, D’Artagnan’s fractured foreleg and pelvis are on the road to recovery.

Nestle him in your arms, and D’Art’s purr will drown out your sorrows. Offer him a toy, and he’ll spring into kooky-kitten mode.He may be unable to walk, but D’Art is perfectly able to love life.

D’Art’s happy life is possible due to specialized care. In addition to daily physical therapy, we manually express his bladder, which his injuries have left him unable to do himself. D’Artagnan is incontinent, but cleaning up after him is a tiny price to pay. Medications to relax D’Art’s bladder, urethra and digestive tract help keep things moving along.

Once he grows a bit, D’Art will get his own set of specialized wheels, to exercise his “good” legs and support a strong core. It’s a matter of time before he’s freewheeling with fellow paraplegic Dot in our lobby.

With his amazing personality, we hope D’Artagnan will find his forever home. Yet we know that this will take an exceptional family. Until that happens, you can give our tiny swashbuckler the quality care and love he deserves. Paws & Claws and a special rescuer made it possible for us to save this brave baby, but your love will help him to thrive in the years to come.