We all start somewhere. For me, the journey to my first rescue cat began with a massive lie. Kooki was an orange Persian. He lived with me for 18 glorious years. I bought him from a fancy pet store. However, I told my mom he was a rescue so she would keep him.

The Prince Who Ate Cheese

Technically, Kooki was a fraud. But he became the love of my mom’s life (God rest her soul). In fact, she took him to the famous Dr. Berge for everything. She bought him expensive litter sand. Furthermore, she bought the fanciest food money could buy.

They even had a breakfast ritual. She ate her breakfast. Simultaneously, she fed him his special breakfast. She cut small pieces of cheese for him. She fed him one cube at a time while she ate. Basically, they dined together.

I loved animals since birth. However, I was young and clueless. Therefore, I made mistakes. I kept goldfish in a bowl. Can you believe that? Every hobbyist has a “fishy purgatory” phase. Kooki watched them all. Later, he met two bunnies. He hugged them like they were his little soft toys. The bunnies didn’t run. Unfortunately, they only lived a few months. But Kooki was always the gentle, curious host.

Finding Ozi: My First Rescue Cat

Years passed. Kooki was four years old. Then, I found my first rescue cat for real. I was walking down our street. There were some garbage bins. Suddenly, I saw a 3-month-old orange and white kitten.

He looked hungry and dirty. Instantly, he came to me. He actually let me hold him! That was the moment. I took him home immediately, went straight to the small bathroom. I set up a litter box, food, and water. Then, I ordered flea spray. I had to ensure he didn’t give Kooki any itchy souvenirs.

The Bathroom Standoff

My first rescue cat was safe. However, he was not happy. Once I put him down, he bolted behind the toilet. He hissed at me instantly. If I brought my hand close, he tried to scratch me. He was in full attack mode.

But I was persistent. Every day for four days, I went into that bathroom. I did this four times a day. I sat on the floor for a whole hour and did not try to catch him, I just talked to him gently and reached out my hand slowly. Sitting there waiting for the moment he would accept me.

The Breakthrough Moment

On the fifth day, magic happened. I opened the bathroom door. I sat on the floor as usual. To my surprise, my first rescue cat walked out to me. He was not hissing. In fact, he was meowing and purring peacefully. Finally, he let me pet him and hold him.

He was flea-free. Therefore, he was ready to leave the bathroom. I opened the door. Kooki’s big litter box was right outside. I let him explore on his own terms. Then, the moment of truth arrived. He needed to do his business. He went directly to the sand. Zero toilet accidents in the house! That was a huge accomplishment. It was one of the happy moments of my life. A scared kitten finally trusted me.

The Mom Effect (Again)

Eventually, history repeated itself. My mom fell in love with Ozi too. She started pampering him. She did the same routine with Ozi as she did with Kooki.

However, Ozi never forgot the streets. He only sat on Mom’s legs. He did not like anyone else touching him. If you tried, he started a boxing match. He certainly never sat on anyone’s lap. Well, there was one exception. Years later, he sat on my husband’s lap once while we were dating. But mostly, he was a spicy orange boy. That was the reality of my first rescue cat.

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Sources

• The AquaRepto Hobbyist – https://exotastic.earth/about-the-author/