I do not think that you will see a better before and after couple of pictures of a cat that was rescued from the street and then adopted by the rescuer. These events happen sometimes and as we can see in this montage, the cat was in a terribly messy way which must have been difficult for the cat because they are fastidiously clean normally. But the rescuer who posted this on quora.com said the following:
Found this 7-month-old kitty hanging around my shop May 31st. Super friendly with everyone. Covered in grime, dirt, oil, etc. Decided to bring him home and let him live the life he deserves since he’s a good dude.”
Dasha Taran
Facial expression and the eyes
One telling aspect of this montage is the comparison in the appearance of this cat’s eyes and his general facial expression. In the top photograph you see a very worried look. Some people think that domestic cats don’t have facial expressions but this picture tells an entirely different story.
You compare that expression with the photograph below when he is cared for and relaxed. Look at the difference in the eyes. Look how relaxed he looks compared to how stressed and worried he looked immediately after his rescue in the back of the vehicle. It must’ve been a terrible ordeal for him to try and survive on that street wherever it is. I don’t know where this rescue took place.
Domestic cats barely survive on the street without help
The before picture tells us that domestic cats or stray cats who are domesticated (and to a certain extent feral cats) struggle tremendously on the street. They find it very hard to manage, to cope with the gravely difficult circumstances under which they find themselves. And, so, all their normal routines and desires are broken such as grooming themselves.
Normally domestic cat self-groom daily perhaps thrice daily but this cat clearly hadn’t groomed himself for a very long time. He became dirtier and dirtier which, as mentioned, must have felt uncomfortable to him. It’s a sign of almost giving up, a gradual fading away to ill-health and an early demise.
Some people ask whether domestic cats can survive when abandoned and when removed from their home where they are looked after and the answer is that very few can survive adequately entirely on their own. Some no doubt do survive but eventually get adopted informally by a kind person and become their companion. But their lives are often foreshortened if they are not rescued and on the happiness to miserable scale they are at the far end of miserable. Unless they are very lucky.
