Meet Mowgli or Momo for short. This is his journey to find a purrfect home. And luckily he found us!
To some, this may sound a bit dramatic. But this little fur ball saved my family as much as we saved him. His journey to find the “purrfect” home led him to us. He truly helped us navigate the ups and downs of 2020, a year very few will ever forget. For those animal lovers out there, they understand how these furry friends can make everything seem more bearable during a very stressful time while providing some joy and laughter along the way.
And it seems that we’re not alone in this opinion. Animal adoptions soared during the pandemic. Everyone wanted a cat or dog to spend their endless days in lock down. Shelters saw such an increase in demand that they were actually running out of animals. Click here for a recent article from The Washington Post discussing this: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/06/animal-shelters-coronavirus-pandemic/
Momo’s adoption story is a bit different though.
His journey towards a “purrfect” forever home began inside a Chipotle sign.
Yes… this is true. My daughter’s friends found him stuck inside a Chipotle sign, all alone on a cold Long Island night in April 2020. No mommy or siblings in sight.
But lady luck was certainly on his side. These lovely young women took him into their home, brought him to the vet for a wellness check and tended to his injured paw. This little guy was all of 3 weeks old! But this didn’t deter them from tending to his needs day and night. They bought him special kitten formula and nursed him through a syringe just like his mom would for several weeks. He was truly loved by these young ladies but they knew that they wouldn’t be able to keep him as their own.
So what happens next? My daughter texts me his picture.
“Can I have him? He’s such a little nugget. Please!” she begs. “I”ll take care of him and pay for all his food and vet bills.” My head is spinning! What is she asking? My daughter knows that I’m a sucker and love all creatures, big and small. My husband is pretty much the same.
We know that our daughter can afford him since she graduated college and is working full time. But are mom and dad willing to commit to this little guy coming into our home? After all,
We are already the proud owners of four adult male cats.
Meet Gomez, our 11 year old Tuxedo, Stewie, our 10 year old “Snowshoe,” Mr. Pickles our 4 year old Tuxedo and Toby, our 14 year old tabby,. All of these guys are shelter cats and/or strays. And we wouldn’t have it any other way!
To read more about what these guys have taught me through the years, click here: https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?p=1431
Of course, Mom and Dad caved in. How could we say “no” to this little guy!
We set up our daughter’s room for his arrival, making it as kitty proof as possible. Our daughter bought special feeding bowls, kitten formula, a kitty condo, a step to help the little guy up on her bed and some toys. He would certainly be spoiled in his new home!
Since the pandemic closed schools and many offices, my husband, son and I would be home most of the time. Our daughter works in a hospital so we offered to take care of him during the day.
Of course, our cats very quickly became curious of the noise and smell coming from behind my daughter’s bedroom door. Could it be one of us? My husband and I knew that the time was fast approaching and …
Some cat introductions were in order.
After about one week, we let Momo explore outside the borders of my daughter’s room. But of course this had to be done in a controlled, safe environment. First step — We brought him into our room to explore and smell around. (With the door closed, of course!) But our cats and little Momo wanted to meet each other. Meows and paws under the door was the sign.
First up was Toby. This tabby is the “Mufasa” of the group — a true Lion King. Big, strong, patient and loving. Over the years he has welcomed every cat that has come into our home.
But Toby is very big and Momo was very small. So we were of course concerned about his reaction to this little guy. But this concern soon melted away. We set up food and litter in our room and let Toby come in. And we just watched.
Toby stared at him and the little guy just stared back. But there was a playfulness. Of course being a kitten, Momo thought Toby’s twitching tail was a toy and was an invitation to play. But Toby showed his usual patience. He just watched this little black ball of fluff. Toby knew he wasn’t trouble. But of course, Momo needed to know his place in the cat hierarchy in this home. But time strengthened their bond. To this day, they eat, sleep and play together. Truly, an example of the “Circle of Life.” But, of course…
More cat introductions were to follow.
Over the coming weeks, Momo met his other feline brothers. And, I have to say, I couldn’t be a prouder cat mom. These guys took him under their “paws” and allowed him into their kitty circle. As the months passed, he became one of their brothers.
But of all our cats, Momo had the biggest impact on Mr. Pickles.
This tuxedo cat, although sweet, is extremely shy and always kept to himself. Mr. Pickles always prefers to sleep in a closet or far away from the other cats. He is affectionate to his human friends but always a bit wary of his surroundings.
But Momo changed all that. These two guys bonded immediately. Maybe it was their age or just they were meant to be together. Momo brought Mr. Pickles out of his shell and for that, we are grateful.
But just as our cats settled in with their new friend, more life changing news…
Our daughter was moving out!
An opportunity to move into an apartment with friends came up. This was great for her but what about this little guy? He was just shy of three months. I explained to my daughter how unfair it would be to leave a kitten alone all day. He needed food every 3-4 hours and he loved the other cats. Take him in a few months when he gets older, I told her. Yeah, right! My husband and I were in love with this little guy. And my daughter knew it. He would stay with us.
And over the past year, Momo experienced many firsts:
- His first family — both human and feline,
- His first toys,
- His first bed,
- His first snow and
- His first Christmas!
What a little nugget!
This little ball of black fur was named after the young boy in The Jungle Book. With those piercing eyes and a bit of a wild streak, the name suited him perfectly. And I have to say that not only did we save him, he saved us in so many ways during what became one of the most trying years of our life.
