My story: How a one-eyed, three-legged cat inspired me

Clio was a unique kitty who greatly impacted her owner's life.

Cats have always been an important part of my life, and each has enriched my life in different ways. However, the one cat who had the biggest impact on me was Clio, a one-eyed, three-legged cat who survived cancer twice.

Clio was not a rescue in the traditional sense but was a gift from my staff on my 40th birthday. She was the runt of the litter and almost deemed unadoptable. When my staff found her, they thought that since I loved cats, I would give her the care she needed and in turn, she would provide me with companionship since I had just left an abusive marriage. Little did I know that this unusual birthday present would become a therapist, matchmaker, entertainer/comedian, career coach and minister.

Clio’s unique nature was evident from the first day I met her. She was very athletic and would do somersaults, jump on the refrigerator from a standing position on the floor, and run and play for hours. She had a penchant for getting into trouble. In fact, the first day I had her, I left her alone in my office for a few hours and when I returned, my desk was a disaster with papers and pens scattered all over. Clio also discovered the computer keyboard and in the short space of an hour had “typed” 42 pages on the computer by walking back and forth on the computer keyboard.

During our first months together, she got her head stuck in a raisin box, took out her stitches after she had been spayed, fell out of a window by working the pegs that held in the screen in place lose, and tied herself to the bed post with a ball of yarn. In terms of food, she absolutely loved tuna and would run from the furthest end of the house when I began opening a tuna can.

Five years after I had Clio, I noticed a spot on her eye. Although at first it was just a discoloring, it became eye cancer, and to save her life we had to remove her eye. She recovered remarkably fast (even doing somersaults a few hours after surgery), and the loss of an eye did not affect her attitude. She had unbounded self-confidence and self-esteem. Then when she was seven, she developed fibrous sarcoma in her back leg (from the feline leukemia shot). Since we caught it early, the veterinarian was able to save her life by amputating her back leg.

Having only one eye and three legs did not affect Clio’s self-esteem and self-confidence: She continued to do the normal cat things and to be my inspiration. When I had a cancer scare, Clio was an inspiration because she survived cancer twice. When I was sad, I thought of Clio and her antics, and she made me laugh. When I searched for another job, she gave me the self-confidence to believe in myself. She “screened” my dates and because of her, I found a wonderful husband. When my mother fell ill and eventually passed, she gave me a reason to believe that I would see her again in heaven.

 Clio passed away in 2010. She was a unique cat who made a difference in every aspect of my life. She was the best birthday present I ever received and I am so glad she rescued me!

Kathy Finley

Indianapolis

Kathy Finley is retired and writes articles and books about cats. You can read more about Clio’s escapades in “My One-Eyed, Three-Legged Therapist: How My Cat Clio Saved Me,” published in 2023 by Purdue University Press, and has won eight national awards.