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When I first saw him, he was a very quiet scared kitten covered with fleas and he was limping. He'd been found in a dumpster and was on his way to the pound.

I was already owned by two cats and shouldn't have more, but there he was looking at me through the bars of the carrier. I was doomed.

The vet said that he was around 7 weeks old and his leg wasn't broken; he had either been kicked or hit so hard that it was permanently damaged. The vet also pointed out that some of his whiskers were cut off and others had been burned. Beyond kicking/hitting this helpless little baby, someone had burned off some of his whiskers.

It was the vet's opinion that the pound wouldn't do much with a handicapped kitten and would probably put this baby to sleep. I had a very easy decision to make; he was mine.

Aidan (as he is now called) continued to be quiet the rest of the evening, curled up on my lap and sleeping. The next morning, he was awake, rested and feeling much better. He finally let out a raspy meow and I realized that he had been in that dumpster long enough to scream himself hoarse. He was all kitten, scrambling up and down everything by the end of the day, bad leg not keeping him still one bit.

After about a month in my home, Aidan's hair suddenly ... sprung: soft, silky fluff everywhere. Turns out he's got a bit of Maine Coon in him. I shudder now thinking about what could have happened, as he was found one hour before trash pick-up. Today, Aidan is 13 and living the good life.

Story submitted by Eve Mardis from Mesquite, Texas.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!