Couple Gives Paraplegic Cat a New Life After She Is Run Over and Left to Die (Exclusive)
Nadine Alliye and her partner adopted Toffee the cat after a rescue found her in the streets of Dubai
Toffee now lives a good life with Alliye in Canada
Alliye frequently shares videos of Toffee running away from her on her TikTok, where they often go viralToffee the cat was run over by a car and left to die. Her spine was crushed, and she lost the use of her hind legs. She was living on the street until she was rescued by Animals and Me, an organization in the United Arab Emirates.
Nadine Alliye and her partner were living in Dubai at the time, and knew that adopting Toffee was going to be a full-time job, so they agreed to foster her and another cat, Bliss.
Within 24 hours of fostering, they decided to adopt both cats and expedite the process. Alliye talks to PEOPLE exclusively about Toffee's condition and how she became a viral sensation.
'When we first had Toffee in the airport, everyone was so sad to see a paraplegic cat. When we take her out in public, people are so sad," Alliye says.
"But, she's the happiest cat," she insists. "I've had pets my whole life. She is the one that gives me the most trouble, is the most playful, tries to run away all the time. I want to switch up the sadness.'
Alliye notes that Toffee does not feel any pain due to her injury. Still, she says a lot of people can't fathom the fact that she has a happy life.
'We took her to a vet and the vet told me, 'Oh, you really should have put her down. I know she's not in any pain, but this is messed up,'" she recalled. "And I thought, 'Are you serious? You don't live with her.' I live with her. She doesn't sleep. All she wants to do is play.'
Alliye, who has since moved to Canada, started sharing videos of Toffee on her TikTok account for "fun."
'It's about showing off living with her and seeing the crazy stuff she does every day," she explains. "It feels shameful not to share that with people all over the world.'
Despite her injury, Toffee is extremely hyper, often running through tunnels set up by Alliye in the apartment.
"She has cat tunnels that I bought for her, and I'll set them up like puzzle pieces over the apartment, and then she will run inside and hide from me, and then I'll hide behind the door,' Alliye shares. 'She'll peek her head out and then she'll come out and then as soon as I run after her, she runs inside of her little playpen."
Alliye also gives her 30 to 40 minutes of designated outdoor time, where she takes all precautions to ensure Toffee doesn't run away or hide.
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One time, the couple lost Toffee at Alliye's partner's mom's house, which sits on farmland. Toffee slipped out of her collar and hid from them. After 40 minutes of looking, they found her in a pen with the chickens.
'She's really buff on her upper top now because she's always climbing the plants in the house and she's always climbing the couches, so she is ripped," Alliye explains, noting that her strength helps her move at a surprisingly fast pace.
In addition to play, Toffee requires a lot of attention. Alliye and her partner have had Toffee for a year, and it took them around six months to figure out the best care plan.
Toffee wears diapers and needs assistance using the bathroom each morning and night. However, she gets diaper-free time before Alliye goes to work. People online suggested that Toffee should get a wheelchair, but Alliye says the attempt was unsuccessful.
Despite needing a bit of extra care, Alliye says adopting Toffee and her sister, Bliss, has completely changed their lives for the better. She hopes to continue sharing Toffee's story of resilience online.
'I just want to share with people that this is the happiest cat I've ever met in my life, and she's not in any pain.'
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