Talk about using up your nine lives! Nelson the cat has truly defied the odds and has used up one too many of his nine lives. The now-20-year-old feline has survived an attempted drowning, a life on the docks and even losing an eye when he was attacked by a gang of thugs. About five years ago, the survivor cat was able to finally find himself a forever home, thankfully. Even though he was recently diagnosed with a heart tumor, the survivor cat overcomes adversity and takes it in stride.
As a young kitten, Nelson was thrown into the sea in a bag (along with the others in his litter) and one of only two in his litter to survive after a fisherman had picked them up from the waves. Following his rescue from the sea, the abandoned kitty lived a rough life on the docks of Seaham, UK, which is near Sunderland, and would occasionally seek shelter from extreme weather in the fisherman’s cabin. Living on the docks was tough on Nelson, and even lost an eye one day when a gang of young people threw rocks at the distraught feline.
The cat’s luck was turned around in 2009 when he was adopted by a loving family who provided the kitty with a safe and comfortable home. When his “home” on the Seaham Harbour Marina was laden with workers and their loud machinery, it was enough to frighten the cat to its wits. The Huntley-Crow family visited the Marina one day and little Nelson ended up following the family back to their car as they left and the loving family ended up adopting him. Since then, his life has turned around and has become a valued family member in their home.
The feline’s proud owner Andrea Huntley-Crow told the Northern Echo: “Nelson is our little miracle, a real character and we love him very much.”
Despite his rocky beginnings, the cat is living the good life and is even a finalist for an award! Nelson is up for an award in the Most Incredible Story category for the The Cats Protection UK’s 2014 National Cat Awards, which will be judged on August 7 at The Savoy Hotel. The awards celebrate the extraordinary stories of survival and bravery in the cat world. Nelson is definitely deserving of the award and we wish him luck!
Photo Source: The Northern Echo
