Lilah was pulled from South LA shelter in 2018 with her Snowshoe brother by the rescue where I’ve either volunteered or worked for the past decade. She was about 10 months old, completely bald from mid-back to the tip of her tail, extremely underweight, and pregnant with her brother’s kittens.
Despite everything she was going through, she still peered out at me from her hiding place in the kennel with those huge crystal-blue eyes and chainsaw-purred the second I touched her. I brought her home that night, February 1st, as my first-ever foster. She made herself right at home, we did the Vulcan mind-meld that night & she’s been my baby, my shadow, and my best friend ever since.
After seven years of perfect health, Lilah survived a particularly aggressive fight & diabetes diagnosis that onset this time last year. She lost 4 lbs in a month, all of her muscle, and I almost lost my little girl. Thankfully after only 3 months of insulin injections, a complete dietary change, holistic care, the most top-notch care from our vet and a whole lot of prayers, Lilah pulled through and has been in total remission since June 1st 2025.
Lilah is the most well-adjusted, affectionate, friendly cat I’ve ever known (I’ve had Siamese cats my entire life, so that’s saying a whole lot). She loves all people, other cats, dogs with calm energy, and has coexisted beautifully with every creature I’ve rescued from a pair of abandoned 2 day old bottle baby kittens, to a baby songbird, to a baby rat, and most recently, a starving feral cat we found in the garden eating birdseed.
She loves to travel with me, follow me around the yard when I’m doing work outside, affectionately & enthusiastically greet every visitor to our home, all toys, catnip, lounging in the sunshine, wearing cute outfits, and most of all: TREATS (healthy ones in moderation of course).
We just celebrated her 8th ‘Gotcha Day’ on February 1st!
Submitted by Katie Norman
