Sometimes life gives you a hard turn, and all you can do in the face of it all is just to grin and bear it. That seems to be the motto of Duchess, the cat with the goofy smile that makes us all want to smile along with her!
She has quite the inspirational story, and dodged death on a number of different occasions, but it hasn't taken the joy out of her life!
It all began when she was living as a stray. She was brought to the Adobe Animal Hospital in El Paso, Texas. On arrival, it became apparent that her jaw had been broken. She had just been struck by a vehicle and her odds of survival weren't looking good.
An employee at the clinic saw Duchess and her heart just burst with love for the helpless, hurt kitten.
Crystal Tate explained that typically, with animals in this condition, they would euthanize them to end the pain. But Tate saw something different in her.
The two presiding veterinarians went against their first judgement and decided to give the poor cat just one chance.
They attached a wire trap over her mouth and found they had to remove most of the cat's teeth. For the next month, Duchess remained on a feeding tube while she healed.
"Her chances of survival were slim, but she was a fighter and pulled through," said Tate.
While Duchess is stuck with her silly-looking smile, she doesn't seem to mind!
