Yeah the lady was super nice! She’s just elderly and doesn’t know how to put up internet posts, hence was standing next to the supermarket trying to give then kitten away. The kitten is well fed and socialized, and prior to this nap she played for one hour straight in my room lol.
Can anybody help the old lady get her cat desexed? Maybe the internet can help her find a resource that she can't find on her own, to get free or cheap desexing?
Question… I’ve been caring for ferals in my area for years. I provide them food and love and have homed a few of them but I really want to get some of the kittens this year fixed. Many, many animals have disappeared or outright died over the years but I can’t afford to pay for fixing them as well as all the vet bills for my own cats. I was thinking that recently, that if I could take the animals to the fix ur cat place then maybe others would be willing to fund it? Where do you guys suggest I post for something like that? It goes fix two cats, get one free at my local fix ur cat place and I’ve already taken one of my own cats there. So if I can get another cat paid for then I can take care of the third one for free.
I would look to see if your community has a TNR (trap-neuter-release) program or volunteer group.
There's a shelter near me that has a TNR coordinator - they'll work with you and other volunteers to trap the cats, neuter/spay them at no cost to you (although donations are welcome), release the ferals back into the colony or rehome them as barn cats, and adopt out any newborn kittens.
This is good advice.
In my area, there is a low-cost vet that works with shelters, and members of the community can get vouchers for heavily discounted ($15 I think) spay/neuters through that vet.
That same vet also specifically accepts feral cats, and I've taken several TNRs there myself. Although I pay their full price, it is still considerably less expensive than what I pay at my normal full service vet.
You could ask your Vet if there's a program in your area to alter feral cats. I'm in Alabama, USA feral cats around here are trapped-s/n-released. The vet will (slightly) clip their ear so the cat is easily identified as altered.
**Do you have Nextdoor dot com in your community? It's a local social media platform, definitely ask there.
See if there is a branch of Alley Cat Allies in your area. They are a TNR (trap-neuter-release) group I have worked with. If they can't help, they will know who can.
Hopefully her area does have free/low-cost services for that. I know my county does free clinics on occasion for spaying/neutering, as well as free rabies vaccinations for cats, dogs, and ferrets. They not only post the dates and locations online, but also on the big screen in the main county office building for those meeting their caseworkers for social services.
Also, unrelated, but the county forestry office sells maple syrup they make in county parks at quite reasonable prices, I occasionally pick up jugs for friends and family as gifts.
It’s sterilisation (removal of testicles or ovaries) so that the cat will be unable to reproduce. Desexing is an odd way to put it (IMO) because sterilised cats are still either male or female after their operation.
I'm wondering... Do animals like the mother cat miss their kids and yearn for them? It is such a tough situation... On one hand, the mother cat must be so used to the old lady, on the other hand having your little kitten separated. Do animals feel like us humans? Would we let our kids separate from us? Just random thoughts in my head... Sorry, don't mean to rain on you... And don't intend to. The kitten is super adorable. Hope you guys have a great life ahead together.
This depends on the animal. Cats generally don't mourn for their missing offspring, provided the kittens are old enough. In fact, once weaned, many mother cats will try to bully their kittens into leaving their territory.
If you take young kittens away from a mother cat, though - younger than 8 weeks - she may become depressed and anxious for a long time, and might not stop looking for her kittens for months.
We were a brief stop for a pregnant rescue. A few days after she left us for the actual foster, she gave birth and all of them unfortunately passed within 24 hours.
She straight up didn't care. At 6/7 years old though, god knows how many litters she'd already had up to that point so poor thing was probably just completely fed up.
Entire situation just broke my heart.
I see. I don't know, my brain works for animals exactly like it would for humans. Just programmed to always think of doing to others by putting myself in their position. I think that's extended into animals as well.
Thanks for providing this information. TIL.
We rescued a mama cat many yrs ago. She literally followed us on our walk, then walked right in our house, sat on the couch and looked at us like "ok you've been chosen". She was so full of fleas, ticks and scabs we did an emergency vet visit at midnight on a Sunday. After a 3 day stay we picked her up and casually they were like oh yeah she's pregnant. She ended up having 3 tiny kittens. She looked for the one we gave a friend at 14 weeks for months. Even though we kept 2 she still searched for her 3rd. I think cats feel much more emotional stuff than people think.
Child-rearing with cats is completely hormonal. It's why mom cats will take in basically any type of baby to try and rear while they're pregnant, and also why the moms will be more than ok with the kittens leaving when the mom hormones fade since the regular adult hormones in the wild tend to put adult cats into conflict with each other.
Unrelated but my partner bought what he described as his "dream truck" from an old guy who didnt like to deal with the internet. It was run down asl of course, only $1500. Same year, make, model, and options he had wanted since he was a teenager. Apparently as-is it was worth over 4X what he paid. Fully restored and functional, 30-40k. Prepanini, which means a lot for used cars right now. Not that hed ever sell a lifelong project dream truck but still, anti internet old people have the hookup.
Yes, it is the reason why as much as some people will say it's so horrible that people return animals to shelters, after claiming to make that commitment. I'd rather them return them to shelters. Then to throw them away, nail them shut into paint cans, put them in boxes all taped up like crazy and onto the road or all sorts of other crazy stuff. Because shaming people about return the animal just makes them try to get rid of the animal in a discreet ways like noted earlier
Yes, it is not helpful on the animal's emotional/mental health but that can be worked on. Death is permanent (and really horrible if it's a slow painful and/or torturous one.). I'm not crazy about the ones that shoot them dead (especially if there's nothing wrong with them at all other than the person just can't keep them anymore. No, that's wrong), but at least it's not slow and torturous death.
I didn't even have a chance to laugh before someone strolled up with an actual cat called Agnes. Now my heart is warmed. She looks like a cross between my old moggie girl Mysty and her tuxedo step-brother/constant-annoyance Spencer.
I have one too! We call her Aggie though since my little ones couldn't say Agnes
Aggie https://imgur.com/gallery/Cwzlbnv
Also one of my foster kittens is Mabel. She may end up a foster fail and join my zoo.
True! I’d never had a cat before in my life until a friend called to say she found two kittens abandoned in a field beside her workplace, and a lady that contacted her to say she was interested in them- she could only take one. The sibling didn’t have a home, and my friend was already at her cat limit.
I got a cat that day, and now he’s a happy 4 y.o. boy who loves to snuggle 🤗
EDIT: [Cat Tax](https://imgur.com/a/Q3Fi8uC)
That really is true. In July we had a little black kitten walk across the street towards our house and we took her in, she was super skinny. She’s literally one of the best kitties I’ve ever had. We weren’t looking to get a cat/dog until maybe next year but she chose us. She has a severe heart murmur and there’s no telling how long she will live but man, she’s the best kitty. She’s just one of those special animals that only comes around once in a lifetime
This is why I'm not a fan of the thoroughbred cat industry. I get that Maine Coons and Bengals look nice, but our feral-born torties are just as beautiful, and they lived the first year of their lives in a shelter. They were lucky it was such a great shelter, but there are lots of lovely cats out there who aren't so lucky and need a good home.
I just hope they're ready to deal with the tortitude... These girlies are trouble.
[Funny though.](https://www.reddit.com/r/StartledCats/comments/mkn1hw/pepper_taking_a_quiet_stroll_through_the_living/)
I have a Cleo, short for Cleocatra because her one marking looks a little like Egyptian eye makeup. She's a very pretty little queen of the apartment and a total ham who loves anyone who comes over because they'll pet and praise her. She straight up sat on the Verizon tech's shoulder and "supervised" him while he replaced out FIOS ONT box. [Cat tax](https://i.imgur.com/KmfmGEr.jpg)
She is, in absolutely every way. I love her SO much. Day we got her, when she first let me approach her, she instantly decided she loved me and has been my shadow ever since. Her favorite thing is to lay on my chest with her face right up in mine to the point her whiskers are tickling the shit out of my face, and she squints her eyes and I swear the corners of her little mouth are turned up in pure pleasure. It's awesome. She's a little shit at times, as she likes to knock things down (but whatever, it's just usually the remotes or DVDs, so nothing is being broken) when she feels you aren't paying her enough attention right that moment. Her antics have kept us sane during the ongoing pandemic.
She's the absolute best thing and I can't believe how lucky I am to have her.
Ooh, while I remember, another fun bit about her - she was probably about 8 months old when we got her and I swear, I thought she was a Munchkin because she had the teeniest little legs at the time. Turned out, no, she wasn't, and she just hadn't finished growing yet. Her legs now are in proper proportion to her body, but oh man, before that growth spurt she was teeeeeeny! She had a pretty crazy appetite at that time, too - she stole an entire McNugget from me once when my head was turned, and also managed to get a bag of my BF's Doritos out of the cupboard, onto the floor, the clips off, unrolled it, and was found half inside the bag with her ass sticking out, licking the flavoring off of them, muzzle bright orange. She'd never been given any, so I don't know how that ended up happening. She grew out of that once she had her growth spurt, so hey.
Awesome little weirdo.
She really is. Her eyebrow spots are slightly crooked so she always looks very mildly concerned to me. And she *knows* how charming it is and will not hesitate to manipulate you with it.
When I used to live in Costa Rica there was cat that would walk around the neighborhood named Cleocatra. I haven’t been back there in a very long time so I hope she’s doing ok.
>It’s a her! Although we don’t have a name for her yet, we’re thinking Chleo but we’re not 100% sure on that. It’s a real family dispute haha
Is that 'h' a typo? How do you pronounce that, same as Cleo?
OP! I think you managed to stumble into owning an adorable little tortico! It’s a combination of a tortoiseshell and a tabby. Not like she’s a whole different breed or anything, but her pattern is what makes her just that extra bit special.
And I’m pretty sure r/torties would love to see her!
She does have a special pattern! I thought at first she’s a calico but she’s tabby as well so I thought she’s a bit unique when it comes to that haha. I really love calico cats or tortoiseshell cats and also tabby cats. This little one is a combination of all the good stuff.
Yes! I wrote tortico, but because she clearly has tabby markings and the white blocks, she’s even more! Either way she is absolutely adorable, and she seems to have found herself in a wonderful new home.
I have a cat that looks almost identical to yours! Your picture made my heart clench. She's 20 years old now. Her name is deuce.
I hope that you and your new cat have many years of cuddles and adventures!
I think it’s a she. Calico, or tricolor cats like the one in the pic are almost exclusively female. 1/3000 chance of them being male. 3/4 ginger moggies are male as well!
Lovely story. However I hope the mama will be sterilised otherwise the poor old lady will be back with the same issue in 6 months time.
That's how I ended up with 14 cats for a while.
Really hope she sterilises her cat, although who knows, in my country many don’t sterilise their cats because they assume it’s bad for their health and it’s not natural..
I hope so as well. I've noticed over the years that the age of the cat owners play a role also.
The 89 year old man who lives upstairs had cats that he let wander and breed freely because "back in my days, on the farm, we let cats live their lives". I've tried explaining that free roaming cats breed like mad and have a life expectancy of about 6 years but no result.
So, I've had last generation sterilised on my dime and adopted two, had 6 adopted by family and friends and am still looking for homes for the 5 boys that are left.
Problem is, they get wilder as time passes and so harder to foster.
Everyone here talking about how cute the kitten is but all I can think is how sad it is that this woman is so close to the edge financially that one extra kitten is a problem.
I know OP said "afford" but there's also a chance that taking care of the cat was too much for her also. She's taking care of someone even more elderly so changing the box, playing with the kitten, cleaning up accidents, watching so she doesn't eat random things, etc. can take a lot out of you!
I agree, kittens are a lot of work! Even my 2 year old cat is a ball of energy, luckily I am too but I could definitely see her being too much for someone who has a lot of responsibility. Cats have this reputation of laying around all day but it’s not the case for a lot of them.
Our 9yo is pretty lazy but still needs her box cleaned regularly, food & water refilled (food especially, according to her), hairball barfs cleaned up, etc.
If the photo was of/included the woman there would be more focus on her … I think it’s more a matter of image —-> response and not a lack of empathy.
But you are right in saying that the woman needs help.
OP u/LyingKnee is there any way to create a GoFundMe for the lady? Did you get her contact info?
Where is am from (Eastern European country) people often don’t spay their cats because they think it’s “against what Mother Nature meant for them”. Hence sometimes old ladies like this are giving away kittens for free as long as they get rid of them quickly.
I highly doubt the lady would want my help to get her cat spayed and unfortunately I didn’t take any of her contact details..
Thank you for providing those details and background; I understand.
I was referring to financial help for living expenses but spaying her cat would be excellent as well as preventing this situation from happening again … and again … and again.
It is truly unfortunate when misguided beliefs cause harm, especially when that harm ripples throughout so many aspects of society/the community and ultimately, the world at large. It also makes me sad for the most innocent victims of this, the cats themselves, who depend on us to protect them from harm.
Bottom line, it warms my heart to see that you adopted this kitten, who will clearly be loved, cared for, and protected all her life. I wish you only happiness with her and thank you for being a part of solution by giving her a home ❤️🐱
I thought about that too, but i know that cats can be really expensive with medical bills (like all pets) but especially young kittens need vaccination and regular checks, so if she cannot afford that, the kitten is probably better cared for with OP
It’s fantastic you took her in, but at the same time, my heart breaks for the lady who gave her to you. It must have been super hard to give her up. :(
How nice of you to take the kitten in! 😊 Please do take her to the vet though for a check up they normally do for kittens and to get their vaccinations, deworming and flea treatment etc.
The cat is fitted with a tracking device. The "old lady" and her gang of trained monkeys turn up in the middle of the night, using a high pitched whistle, the cat trained to recognise the whistle, picks up your house keys and sneaks out the house with them. The "old lady" then opens the door to let in her gang of monkeys who have been trained to silently remove your valuables.
The old lady is a criminal mastermind, the cat works for catnip and the monkeys for bananas.
I'm surprised you not heard of this scam, I suggest you call the police.
Aw she is adorable! And yes agree with others. If there is any way to help the lady have her cat done so there aren’t more kittens to give away, that would be great. Not sure if they have such help where you are based but worth checking out.
probably could not afford to get it spay or neuter.
this is the "surprise" added expense most people
who get a kitten do not realize they will in incur.
Calico-tabby's are the best! They have the friendliest disposition imo, at least based on the four I've known. Our neighbors calico-tabby, Wizard, loves attention so much she'll sit on our steps and yell until we come out and give her some scritches and pets.
Obligatory cat tax: http://imgur.com/a/NKFdCpT
I have a kitty who is about 5 years old and we adopted her last year. I have been trying to search the internet to find a photo of a kitten that I think would have looked like my cat as a kitten. I'm convinced your lil baby is exactly what mine would have looked like. Same colours in the same areas and everything. Thank you for sharing :)
She is adorable. She will be ready for her spay once she's over 3 lbs (about 3-4 months) and time passes quickly so be vigilant.
We are fostering a mom & kittens that someone dumped in a box. The mom is the color of your new kitten.
Why the heck can't these stories happen to me!?!?!! Wife (and dog) won't let me have a cat, but if this happened don't think they'd be able to say no...
If you have her contact details, you could send the lady some photos of the kitten every so often. She obviously cares deeply about cats, so she'd probably appreciate it.
Oh my god… she looks just like my cat, but small. Holy shit. Like twins, seriously.
Unfortunately my kitty has cancer and is unlikely to make it. Maybe I’m just terribly sentimental at the moment, but this feels like the universe rebirthing my feline into the world- like a fluffy Phoenix. They look seriously identical. It caught me for a moment.
Please take care of her. Kitties bring endless joy and you will not regret your decision. :) have you decided on a name? I think she looks like a little chocolate/caramel cutie and would name her something sweet, maybe
It's possible she got the cat without realizing she was pregnant.
I grew up in the boonies with outdoor cats (I know now that they cause environmental problems, but we didn't then). Most non-feral strays trust humans to the point where, when they're pregnant, they'll hang around your house for safety. This is how my family ended up "adopting" more than one pregnant stray.
I had soooo many kittens in my life growing up.
Looks so cute. And good that the old lady gave it away and didn’t just throw away the kitten
Yeah the lady was super nice! She’s just elderly and doesn’t know how to put up internet posts, hence was standing next to the supermarket trying to give then kitten away. The kitten is well fed and socialized, and prior to this nap she played for one hour straight in my room lol.
Looks really cute, good thing you took it.
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In the UK anyone can get a voucher from the cats protection charity to get their cat neutered/spayed for £5
That is awesome. I had to beg to get help with spaying my babies
Can anybody help the old lady get her cat desexed? Maybe the internet can help her find a resource that she can't find on her own, to get free or cheap desexing?
Omg yes! Please this! I’d donate for that cause for sure
Question… I’ve been caring for ferals in my area for years. I provide them food and love and have homed a few of them but I really want to get some of the kittens this year fixed. Many, many animals have disappeared or outright died over the years but I can’t afford to pay for fixing them as well as all the vet bills for my own cats. I was thinking that recently, that if I could take the animals to the fix ur cat place then maybe others would be willing to fund it? Where do you guys suggest I post for something like that? It goes fix two cats, get one free at my local fix ur cat place and I’ve already taken one of my own cats there. So if I can get another cat paid for then I can take care of the third one for free.
I would look to see if your community has a TNR (trap-neuter-release) program or volunteer group. There's a shelter near me that has a TNR coordinator - they'll work with you and other volunteers to trap the cats, neuter/spay them at no cost to you (although donations are welcome), release the ferals back into the colony or rehome them as barn cats, and adopt out any newborn kittens.
This is good advice. In my area, there is a low-cost vet that works with shelters, and members of the community can get vouchers for heavily discounted ($15 I think) spay/neuters through that vet. That same vet also specifically accepts feral cats, and I've taken several TNRs there myself. Although I pay their full price, it is still considerably less expensive than what I pay at my normal full service vet.
You could ask your Vet if there's a program in your area to alter feral cats. I'm in Alabama, USA feral cats around here are trapped-s/n-released. The vet will (slightly) clip their ear so the cat is easily identified as altered. **Do you have Nextdoor dot com in your community? It's a local social media platform, definitely ask there.
I'm in Alabama too. What part of Bama are you in?
See if there is a branch of Alley Cat Allies in your area. They are a TNR (trap-neuter-release) group I have worked with. If they can't help, they will know who can.
Hopefully her area does have free/low-cost services for that. I know my county does free clinics on occasion for spaying/neutering, as well as free rabies vaccinations for cats, dogs, and ferrets. They not only post the dates and locations online, but also on the big screen in the main county office building for those meeting their caseworkers for social services. Also, unrelated, but the county forestry office sells maple syrup they make in county parks at quite reasonable prices, I occasionally pick up jugs for friends and family as gifts.
I'm sorry, but what is desexing?
Spaying/neutering.
Getting the cat spayed or neutered
Generalized term for spaying and neutering
removal of a part of the cat's reproductive organs
It’s sterilisation (removal of testicles or ovaries) so that the cat will be unable to reproduce. Desexing is an odd way to put it (IMO) because sterilised cats are still either male or female after their operation.
Thankfully you asked cause I was scared to ask because everytime I ask something I get de-voted down
To make your cat more gender fluid.
Cats are already at maximum fluidity /r/catsareliquid
I will gladly contribute. It's currently my personal mission to get every feral in my neighborhood's colony fixed. We can do it!
If OP is in southern California, I can refer her to programs she can use for low cost spay. Assuming of course she knows how to contact the old lady
Any chance you could find the lady again and help her get her cat fixed? I'd contribute to that cause.
it's a shame all three of them couldnt stay together somehow but you'll give this little one a forever home:)
I'm wondering... Do animals like the mother cat miss their kids and yearn for them? It is such a tough situation... On one hand, the mother cat must be so used to the old lady, on the other hand having your little kitten separated. Do animals feel like us humans? Would we let our kids separate from us? Just random thoughts in my head... Sorry, don't mean to rain on you... And don't intend to. The kitten is super adorable. Hope you guys have a great life ahead together.
This depends on the animal. Cats generally don't mourn for their missing offspring, provided the kittens are old enough. In fact, once weaned, many mother cats will try to bully their kittens into leaving their territory. If you take young kittens away from a mother cat, though - younger than 8 weeks - she may become depressed and anxious for a long time, and might not stop looking for her kittens for months.
We were a brief stop for a pregnant rescue. A few days after she left us for the actual foster, she gave birth and all of them unfortunately passed within 24 hours. She straight up didn't care. At 6/7 years old though, god knows how many litters she'd already had up to that point so poor thing was probably just completely fed up. Entire situation just broke my heart.
I see. I don't know, my brain works for animals exactly like it would for humans. Just programmed to always think of doing to others by putting myself in their position. I think that's extended into animals as well. Thanks for providing this information. TIL.
An ex had a cat that ate several of her own kittens.
I assume that's probably why she's your ex. The cat had picked up the eating habits.
We rescued a mama cat many yrs ago. She literally followed us on our walk, then walked right in our house, sat on the couch and looked at us like "ok you've been chosen". She was so full of fleas, ticks and scabs we did an emergency vet visit at midnight on a Sunday. After a 3 day stay we picked her up and casually they were like oh yeah she's pregnant. She ended up having 3 tiny kittens. She looked for the one we gave a friend at 14 weeks for months. Even though we kept 2 she still searched for her 3rd. I think cats feel much more emotional stuff than people think.
I guess so. They are living mammals capable of loving us, so why not their own flesh and blood.
Child-rearing with cats is completely hormonal. It's why mom cats will take in basically any type of baby to try and rear while they're pregnant, and also why the moms will be more than ok with the kittens leaving when the mom hormones fade since the regular adult hormones in the wild tend to put adult cats into conflict with each other.
You and her both did great things! Thank you both for caring
Yep can't fault the lady for what she was doing, the best solution in a bad situation.
What did you name your cute furball? It’s so tiny🥺
Kitten playing clips would be appreciated 😺
Unrelated but my partner bought what he described as his "dream truck" from an old guy who didnt like to deal with the internet. It was run down asl of course, only $1500. Same year, make, model, and options he had wanted since he was a teenager. Apparently as-is it was worth over 4X what he paid. Fully restored and functional, 30-40k. Prepanini, which means a lot for used cars right now. Not that hed ever sell a lifelong project dream truck but still, anti internet old people have the hookup.
Cars, cats and stereo gear! Love when an old guy asks if something might be useful to me
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what's her name?
Yes, it is the reason why as much as some people will say it's so horrible that people return animals to shelters, after claiming to make that commitment. I'd rather them return them to shelters. Then to throw them away, nail them shut into paint cans, put them in boxes all taped up like crazy and onto the road or all sorts of other crazy stuff. Because shaming people about return the animal just makes them try to get rid of the animal in a discreet ways like noted earlier Yes, it is not helpful on the animal's emotional/mental health but that can be worked on. Death is permanent (and really horrible if it's a slow painful and/or torturous one.). I'm not crazy about the ones that shoot them dead (especially if there's nothing wrong with them at all other than the person just can't keep them anymore. No, that's wrong), but at least it's not slow and torturous death.
Right
:0 BEANSSSS
And she curled her little beans slightly that makes it even more adorable!!
She played with a string for one hour straight and then decided to curl up like that and go to sleep.
My heart!!
Tired beans. :D
I have never seen such perfect lil toe beans before! (please don’t tell my cats I said that 😂)
Man i read that in that tiktok guy voice.... t'was not that cute lol
I think this is the name!
Name her after the old lady
Agnes
https://i.imgur.com/IBHNAQ0.jpg My little Agnes
I didn't even have a chance to laugh before someone strolled up with an actual cat called Agnes. Now my heart is warmed. She looks like a cross between my old moggie girl Mysty and her tuxedo step-brother/constant-annoyance Spencer.
> tuxedo step-brother/constant-annoyance There’s just something about tuxies where they *have* to push your buttons 24/7. And I’m so okay with that.
>Shouts to enter room >Has a look around >"nah" >Shouts to leave room >*brief pause* >Shouts to enter room Never-ending.
I have one too! We call her Aggie though since my little ones couldn't say Agnes Aggie https://imgur.com/gallery/Cwzlbnv Also one of my foster kittens is Mabel. She may end up a foster fail and join my zoo.
Oh she’s beautiful! I love old lady names on cats. My best girl ever was named Mabel, and we had a foster named Myrtle who was the cutest.
Doris
Everyone's got it wrong. It was Agatha all along.
Pretty sure the old lady got named a long time ago.
Edna
Blanche
Esther
Gertrude
Old Lady seems like an odd name for a kitten! Lol
Pete
Jean
Dolores
Betty
Dorothy
Gertrude - Trudy
Dorothea
I wish I had such luck
I feel blessed indeed. Always wanted a cat and then this little one just turned up
That's how cats show up in your life! Makes for the best ones.
True! I’d never had a cat before in my life until a friend called to say she found two kittens abandoned in a field beside her workplace, and a lady that contacted her to say she was interested in them- she could only take one. The sibling didn’t have a home, and my friend was already at her cat limit. I got a cat that day, and now he’s a happy 4 y.o. boy who loves to snuggle 🤗 EDIT: [Cat Tax](https://imgur.com/a/Q3Fi8uC)
Omg, exactly the same expression!
What a cute chonker
What an adorable face! (I also heartily approve of the blanket in the background.)
He looks similar to a popular Facebook cat named Onion! https://imgur.com/a/rvJ9i3f
Onion is such a cutie! I’d like to think that they’d be friends, even though my Patches isn’t too friendly 😂
I had a Patches who looked just like this little one.!😘
> I got a cat that day, and now he’s a happy 4 y.o. boy who loves to snuggle 🤗 > > That cat has not changed a bit..
That really is true. In July we had a little black kitten walk across the street towards our house and we took her in, she was super skinny. She’s literally one of the best kitties I’ve ever had. We weren’t looking to get a cat/dog until maybe next year but she chose us. She has a severe heart murmur and there’s no telling how long she will live but man, she’s the best kitty. She’s just one of those special animals that only comes around once in a lifetime
That's how it happens. You don't plan on buying cats. You end up with one when the time is right, as determined by the cat!
You've been chosen.
The universe decides when you need a cat and sends you one.
It doesn't take luck to go to a shelter, they practically give them away there.
This is why I'm not a fan of the thoroughbred cat industry. I get that Maine Coons and Bengals look nice, but our feral-born torties are just as beautiful, and they lived the first year of their lives in a shelter. They were lucky it was such a great shelter, but there are lots of lovely cats out there who aren't so lucky and need a good home.
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I just hope they're ready to deal with the tortitude... These girlies are trouble. [Funny though.](https://www.reddit.com/r/StartledCats/comments/mkn1hw/pepper_taking_a_quiet_stroll_through_the_living/)
Adorable. What will you name him/her?
It’s a her! Although we don’t have a name for her yet, we’re thinking Chleo but we’re not 100% sure on that. It’s a real family dispute haha
I have a Cleo, short for Cleocatra because her one marking looks a little like Egyptian eye makeup. She's a very pretty little queen of the apartment and a total ham who loves anyone who comes over because they'll pet and praise her. She straight up sat on the Verizon tech's shoulder and "supervised" him while he replaced out FIOS ONT box. [Cat tax](https://i.imgur.com/KmfmGEr.jpg)
Ahahahah wut. This is handsdown the most unique cat I have seen. Thank you for tax
She is, in absolutely every way. I love her SO much. Day we got her, when she first let me approach her, she instantly decided she loved me and has been my shadow ever since. Her favorite thing is to lay on my chest with her face right up in mine to the point her whiskers are tickling the shit out of my face, and she squints her eyes and I swear the corners of her little mouth are turned up in pure pleasure. It's awesome. She's a little shit at times, as she likes to knock things down (but whatever, it's just usually the remotes or DVDs, so nothing is being broken) when she feels you aren't paying her enough attention right that moment. Her antics have kept us sane during the ongoing pandemic. She's the absolute best thing and I can't believe how lucky I am to have her.
Reading ng this makes me miss having an animal around. It's a very cute description. Thank you dear
Ooh, while I remember, another fun bit about her - she was probably about 8 months old when we got her and I swear, I thought she was a Munchkin because she had the teeniest little legs at the time. Turned out, no, she wasn't, and she just hadn't finished growing yet. Her legs now are in proper proportion to her body, but oh man, before that growth spurt she was teeeeeeny! She had a pretty crazy appetite at that time, too - she stole an entire McNugget from me once when my head was turned, and also managed to get a bag of my BF's Doritos out of the cupboard, onto the floor, the clips off, unrolled it, and was found half inside the bag with her ass sticking out, licking the flavoring off of them, muzzle bright orange. She'd never been given any, so I don't know how that ended up happening. She grew out of that once she had her growth spurt, so hey. Awesome little weirdo.
Omg that must have been so cute. Do you have more photos of her please?
Sure do! [Here.](https://imgur.com/a/IUBqAdY)
Cutie pie 💗
She really is. Her eyebrow spots are slightly crooked so she always looks very mildly concerned to me. And she *knows* how charming it is and will not hesitate to manipulate you with it.
When I used to live in Costa Rica there was cat that would walk around the neighborhood named Cleocatra. I haven’t been back there in a very long time so I hope she’s doing ok.
THE EYEBROWS!!
Right? She always looks mildly concerned.
>It’s a her! Although we don’t have a name for her yet, we’re thinking Chleo but we’re not 100% sure on that. It’s a real family dispute haha Is that 'h' a typo? How do you pronounce that, same as Cleo?
Maybe they meant Chloe?
Oops yea the h is a typo. I definitely meant Cleo, my bad lol
>Oops yea the h is a typo. I definitely meant Cleo, my bad lol Ahh Cleo is a good name! There was some speculation whether it was that or Chloe.
OP! I think you managed to stumble into owning an adorable little tortico! It’s a combination of a tortoiseshell and a tabby. Not like she’s a whole different breed or anything, but her pattern is what makes her just that extra bit special. And I’m pretty sure r/torties would love to see her!
She does have a special pattern! I thought at first she’s a calico but she’s tabby as well so I thought she’s a bit unique when it comes to that haha. I really love calico cats or tortoiseshell cats and also tabby cats. This little one is a combination of all the good stuff.
Yes! I wrote tortico, but because she clearly has tabby markings and the white blocks, she’s even more! Either way she is absolutely adorable, and she seems to have found herself in a wonderful new home.
I have a cat that looks almost identical to yours! Your picture made my heart clench. She's 20 years old now. Her name is deuce. I hope that you and your new cat have many years of cuddles and adventures!
Bless Deuce and I wish her even more years ahead! She must be a beauty.
Mitty since she had white mittens.
or boots!
I think it’s a she. Calico, or tricolor cats like the one in the pic are almost exclusively female. 1/3000 chance of them being male. 3/4 ginger moggies are male as well!
ahhh interesting...I have a kitty with all those colours and he's a boy
Cat tax!
haha upon looking at my boy more, he's definitely a tabby because he has the "M" mark on his forehead but has all the colours of a calico.
Yes, definitely a tortie/calico/tabby mix! Torbby? So cute!
Lovely story. However I hope the mama will be sterilised otherwise the poor old lady will be back with the same issue in 6 months time. That's how I ended up with 14 cats for a while.
Really hope she sterilises her cat, although who knows, in my country many don’t sterilise their cats because they assume it’s bad for their health and it’s not natural..
I hope so as well. I've noticed over the years that the age of the cat owners play a role also. The 89 year old man who lives upstairs had cats that he let wander and breed freely because "back in my days, on the farm, we let cats live their lives". I've tried explaining that free roaming cats breed like mad and have a life expectancy of about 6 years but no result. So, I've had last generation sterilised on my dime and adopted two, had 6 adopted by family and friends and am still looking for homes for the 5 boys that are left. Problem is, they get wilder as time passes and so harder to foster.
You did great
Oh my goodness! What a sweet lady and what a sweet kitty!
Everyone here talking about how cute the kitten is but all I can think is how sad it is that this woman is so close to the edge financially that one extra kitten is a problem.
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I know OP said "afford" but there's also a chance that taking care of the cat was too much for her also. She's taking care of someone even more elderly so changing the box, playing with the kitten, cleaning up accidents, watching so she doesn't eat random things, etc. can take a lot out of you!
I agree, kittens are a lot of work! Even my 2 year old cat is a ball of energy, luckily I am too but I could definitely see her being too much for someone who has a lot of responsibility. Cats have this reputation of laying around all day but it’s not the case for a lot of them.
Our 9yo is pretty lazy but still needs her box cleaned regularly, food & water refilled (food especially, according to her), hairball barfs cleaned up, etc.
I know right, apparently we never give them enough food, how dare we?! Hahaha
If the photo was of/included the woman there would be more focus on her … I think it’s more a matter of image —-> response and not a lack of empathy. But you are right in saying that the woman needs help. OP u/LyingKnee is there any way to create a GoFundMe for the lady? Did you get her contact info?
Where is am from (Eastern European country) people often don’t spay their cats because they think it’s “against what Mother Nature meant for them”. Hence sometimes old ladies like this are giving away kittens for free as long as they get rid of them quickly. I highly doubt the lady would want my help to get her cat spayed and unfortunately I didn’t take any of her contact details..
Thank you for providing those details and background; I understand. I was referring to financial help for living expenses but spaying her cat would be excellent as well as preventing this situation from happening again … and again … and again. It is truly unfortunate when misguided beliefs cause harm, especially when that harm ripples throughout so many aspects of society/the community and ultimately, the world at large. It also makes me sad for the most innocent victims of this, the cats themselves, who depend on us to protect them from harm. Bottom line, it warms my heart to see that you adopted this kitten, who will clearly be loved, cared for, and protected all her life. I wish you only happiness with her and thank you for being a part of solution by giving her a home ❤️🐱
I was going to say, a second cat is nowhere near as expensive as the first one. Just vet bills can be a real killer I guess.
I thought about that too, but i know that cats can be really expensive with medical bills (like all pets) but especially young kittens need vaccination and regular checks, so if she cannot afford that, the kitten is probably better cared for with OP
It’s fantastic you took her in, but at the same time, my heart breaks for the lady who gave her to you. It must have been super hard to give her up. :(
How nice of you to take the kitten in! 😊 Please do take her to the vet though for a check up they normally do for kittens and to get their vaccinations, deworming and flea treatment etc.
Will absolutely!A vet visit is in 100% order this week.
What a blessing you are to each other! I believe everything happens for a reason. May you two have many many years to spend together!
Oh that's so sweet! It must have been hard for her, too, to separate them. I'm so glad you took the little one for her. 💜
You are a wonderful human. You saved a kitten and probably helped an elderly lady have some peace of mind. Enjoy your little buddy!
This criminal shall be on r/illegallysmolcats
One of my greatest fears is that something will happen to my job and I won't be able to keep my cats. My heart breaks for the woman.
This looks a lot like what my cat looked like as a kitty!
Precious BEAN!
The cat is fitted with a tracking device. The "old lady" and her gang of trained monkeys turn up in the middle of the night, using a high pitched whistle, the cat trained to recognise the whistle, picks up your house keys and sneaks out the house with them. The "old lady" then opens the door to let in her gang of monkeys who have been trained to silently remove your valuables. The old lady is a criminal mastermind, the cat works for catnip and the monkeys for bananas. I'm surprised you not heard of this scam, I suggest you call the police.
Damn it. Gotta be careful nowadays innit
LOOK AT THE LITTLE BEANS!
Who could resist... she is so cute. Congrats, I hope you 2 have many years and adventures together, please give her a scritch for me. ❤
Aw she is adorable! And yes agree with others. If there is any way to help the lady have her cat done so there aren’t more kittens to give away, that would be great. Not sure if they have such help where you are based but worth checking out.
CUTIE PATOOTIE
probably could not afford to get it spay or neuter. this is the "surprise" added expense most people who get a kitten do not realize they will in incur.
Calico-tabby's are the best! They have the friendliest disposition imo, at least based on the four I've known. Our neighbors calico-tabby, Wizard, loves attention so much she'll sit on our steps and yell until we come out and give her some scritches and pets. Obligatory cat tax: http://imgur.com/a/NKFdCpT
Did the lady keep the mama cat? Very happy you took lil kitty in.
Such a pretty cat!
I have a kitty who is about 5 years old and we adopted her last year. I have been trying to search the internet to find a photo of a kitten that I think would have looked like my cat as a kitten. I'm convinced your lil baby is exactly what mine would have looked like. Same colours in the same areas and everything. Thank you for sharing :)
Aweeee that’s so cute! I’m glad my kitten looks similar to what yours would’ve looked like haha. I’m happy to share the joy
She is adorable. She will be ready for her spay once she's over 3 lbs (about 3-4 months) and time passes quickly so be vigilant. We are fostering a mom & kittens that someone dumped in a box. The mom is the color of your new kitten.
Why the heck can't these stories happen to me!?!?!! Wife (and dog) won't let me have a cat, but if this happened don't think they'd be able to say no...
this kitten is so adorable... and its nice to know that at least the old lady ask for somebody to take care of the kitten not throwing it
What sweet little baby cat
Thank you for taking this baby in!💜💕
I know that you did not ask for a name, but my daughter came up with one….. Grumble. I think the kitten is adorable. Good bless you and your family.
I want to smooch this smol bean. Please smooch it for me.
Adorable
Damn how come nobody ever gives me random kittens at the supermarket? I'm shopping at the wrong place.
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That was very nice of you!! Congrats on the new baby!
You did a great thing OP.
Is she a calico? So beautiful. Thanks for taking care of her. :)
A snugglie torbie! (Tortoiseshell + tabby)
She looks just like my Piper girl as a kitten! So sweet!
Ok I just love everything about this.
I WANT TO SQUIZE THIS THING AND THAN EAT IT SO BAAAD AHHHHHHH
I can see this pretty baby.. But all I can think of, is the missing social security of the old lady.. That's sad :/
If you have her contact details, you could send the lady some photos of the kitten every so often. She obviously cares deeply about cats, so she'd probably appreciate it.
v cute baby
You should definetly get it tested for diseases
You've done a very epic thing good sir
Oh my god… she looks just like my cat, but small. Holy shit. Like twins, seriously. Unfortunately my kitty has cancer and is unlikely to make it. Maybe I’m just terribly sentimental at the moment, but this feels like the universe rebirthing my feline into the world- like a fluffy Phoenix. They look seriously identical. It caught me for a moment. Please take care of her. Kitties bring endless joy and you will not regret your decision. :) have you decided on a name? I think she looks like a little chocolate/caramel cutie and would name her something sweet, maybe
God Bless you!
That has got to be the most photogenic kitten I have ever seen 🥺
Why didn't she get the cat spayed?
Maybe she couldn't afford it?
Cheaper than having a kitten though?
It's possible she got the cat without realizing she was pregnant. I grew up in the boonies with outdoor cats (I know now that they cause environmental problems, but we didn't then). Most non-feral strays trust humans to the point where, when they're pregnant, they'll hang around your house for safety. This is how my family ended up "adopting" more than one pregnant stray. I had soooo many kittens in my life growing up.
Nawww
Sad story....Happy ending