She felt more comfortable right away ❤️
Erin Parker is an expert cat foster mom. So when a cat named Sweet Pea who needed a little extra help landed in her lap, Parker knew just what to do.
Best Friends Animal Society rescued Sweet Pea from a parking lot in central Arkansas. Her rescuers quickly noticed that Sweet Pea’s ears were missing. They weren’t sure exactly what had happened to her, but it was clear she’d experienced something awful.
Erin Parker
Despite everything she’d been through, when Sweet Pea arrived at Parker’s home, she trusted her new foster mom.
“She’s super sweet, so I think at one point she probably had an owner that really cared for her,” Parker told The Dodo. “She wasn’t shy at all. She wanted lots of attention.”
Once Sweet Pea had fully settled into Parker’s apartment, Parker decided she wanted to do something to make her feel better about her missing ears.
Erin Parker
“I don’t want her to feel left out,” Parker said. “I don’t want her to feel different from other cats.”
She asked her crafty girlfriend, Chloe, to crochet a pair of ears for Sweet Pea. The results were adorable:
Erin Parker
Parker and her girlfriend were pleasantly surprised that Sweet Pea felt comfortable with the ears right away. Before long, she was strutting around the house, showing off her brand-new look.
As much as Parker loved having Sweet Pea around, she hoped that Sweet Pea’s brand-new ears would help get her the attention she needed to get adopted. Parker knew that any family would be lucky to have Sweet Pea in their lives, but that it might be hard for some people to look past her scary injury.
Parker’s plan worked. Shortly after Best Friends Animal Society posted a picture of Sweet Pea with her new set of ears, someone decided to adopt her.
Erin Parker
“Sweet Pea is doing really well, she adjusted to our household in no time,” Sweet Pea’s adopter told The Dodo. “She loves playing with her toys and sitting in the windowsill. Her ears also healed completely, and she doesn’t seem to be bothered by the trauma to them.”
Parker hopes that Sweet Pea’s story will remind anyone who’s looking to adopt a pet to take a second look at animals with injuries or physical differences.
Best Friends Animal Society
As sad as Parker was to say goodbye to Sweet Pea, she was overjoyed that she’d found a loving family. Of course, Sweet Pea took something very important with her when she moved in with her forever family.
“She still has the ears,” Parker said. “I mean, she can’t leave without her ears — they’re hers.”
To support other animals like Sweet Pea, you can make a donation to Best Friends Animal Society here.
