Before-and-after photos have revealed the incredible transformation of a starving cat named Desi after she was rescued.

A post shared on Reddit‘s r/BeforeNAfterAdoption forum explained how the black-and-white feline was trying to eat “garbage” and “dry plates of old cat food” when she first turned up in her rescuer’s garden.

The rescuer explained: “When a rough Arizona [US] summer hit, she decided she’d had enough of being outside, and trusted me to bring her in.”

They gave Desi a “good brushing” and cleaned her long fur with dry shampoo, revealing a “completely different cat underneath all the grime and tangles”.

The rescuer also shared several snaps of Desi, with some showing the cat in a rather dishevelled state when she was rescued. One image even showed Desi eating from a discarded plate in the rescuer’s garden.

However, the final image showed what Desi looks like now – and she’s almost unrecognisable. Two years on, she appears well-fed with a fluffy coat and bright, wide eyes.

The post has received more than 4,000 upvotes, with one user commenting: “She’s a gorgeous, fluffy cow! I hope you have many happy years together.” Another added: “OMG what a gorgeous transformation! ! Thank you for saving her. She looks like a sweet cat.”

A third commented: “I gasped when I saw her transformation! You must feel wonderful to know how you helped her. What a gorgeous and peaceful soul she is now.”

To which the rescuer said: “To be honest, I feel lucky more than anything else. I hate to think how things would have turned out for her if she hadn’t randomly chosen my garbage can to stake out.”

This comes after people were left heartbroken over an adorable cat that spent nearly 3,000 days in a rescue shelter without receiving a single adoption offer.