No one knew how she got there or how she had survived for as long as she had, but one thing was for certain. The long-haired gray cat lying paralyzed on the sidewalk of a street in Cairo was in desperate need of medical care and a new place to call home.

Rescuers believe the cat might have had a home at some point, based on her friendliness toward humans, but that she was recently abandoned. It’s also possible that she had been living on the streets for some time but that she had only recently become paralyzed, as it’s unlikely that a cat in her condition could survive alone outside for very long.

Either way, the cat was desperate and calling out for help. When rescuers found her, she meowed at them and allowed them to come near and pet her right away. She was obviously calling out for help.

When the volunteers from How’s Paws brought in a cat box to transport her, she let a volunteer lift her into the box and arrange a blanket around her. She was happy to go to the vet and didn’t resist during any of their examinations or bath time.

The tests and x-rays showed no signs of broken bones or other ailments that would cause paralysis, so the vets believe that it must be nerve damage that has caused this particular feline to lose the use of her back legs.

Only time will tell whether their might be some hope for her to regain use of her back half again, but for the time being, volunteers are working on getting the rest of her body back to health. For the first couple of days after she was taken in, she seemed to be depressed and wouldn’t eat much. But now that she’s had some time to rest and regain strength, she seems to be doing much better.

See more of this beautiful kitty’s story in the video below: