Reecie the Resilient: The Cat Behind the Plushie 🐾

CatSwoppr Team
Aug 12
2 min read

A barn, a baby, and a big surprise

Reecie’s story began in a barn in SoCal, USA, where he was found alone at just a few weeks old. At first, it was thought he had fallen and hurt himself, but radiographs revealed something else.

Reecie was born with congenital hind limb paralysis and other skeletal anomalies. He’s missing his left hip socket, so his leg flops freely, held only by muscle and a few ligaments.

Living life to the fullest

You might think this would slow him down, but Reecie hasn’t gotten the memo. He’s a happy, loving little soul who shares his home with six other special needs kitty siblings and one amazing human, AJ, who makes sure each of them gets the care and love they deserve.

The nap pose that started it all

Some cats curl up in a neat little ball.

Reecie? With his left leg flopped up toward his head and the other tucked under like a chicken wing, he naps like no other. This quirky sleeping style became the heart of a special tribute.

Love at first sketch

When Fluff of My Life’s founder, Kumica Truong from Melbourne, Australia, first saw a photo of Reecie sleeping, she wasn’t looking for inspiration, but something about that moment stopped her in her tracks. She sketched him almost immediately and that sketch became an enamel pin. From there, the plushie idea wouldn’t let go. AJ was just as excited, and soon, the project was in motion.

Capturing Reecie, exactly as he is

The biggest challenge? Getting the pose just right. After four rounds of samples and plenty of back-and-forth with manufacturers, they nailed it! (Quirks and all). Instead of hiding his differences, the plushie celebrates them, quietly advocating for special needs animals everywhere.

A partnership built on respect

Kumica had followed AJ’s work through Reecie’s Instagram for a long time, inspired by her dedication to caring for special needs cats. Their first creative connection grew into multiple collaborations, including the logo for Cali House of Merkitties in the USA. Supporting the rescue through the plushie felt like the most natural next step.

Community love for a special cat

The response has been heartwarming: from long-time Reecie fans to people discovering special needs cats for the first time. Proceeds from each plushie go to Cali House of Merkitties and SNAP Cats, helping more cats like Reecie live their best lives.