Around mid-September, Mateo from Southern Spain was on his way home when he heard what sounded like a kitten as he passed a car shop.
He was able to track the sound and locate the kitten inside a bus that was parked nearby. Mateo said: “I found it inside the engine compartment. I couldn’t see much, but meowing sounds scary.”
Mateo rushed to get some cat food and tried to use it to lure the kitten out, but to no avail. The tabby cat is so scared of all the surrounding noises that he refuses to leave his hiding place. The man left the food by the bus and came back after everything had settled down. He noticed that the food had been partially eaten and that there were adult cats in the area taunting the kitten.
“I put my gloves on and spent about three hours waiting for him to come out and get more food that I bought.” With a lot of patience and treatment, Mateo managed to get the kitten to safety. He noticed right away that the tabby cat had eyes that were severely infected and full of scars and battle wounds.
“He was shaking and meowing all the way to my house. When we got home, I put him in the bathroom with a towel, giving him food, water and time to get used to it. with a new environment.”
Loofah was a little shaky after the challenge but felt relieved when there was a quiet space to relieve the pressure. He gradually grew to enjoy the presence of the rescuer and even had the courage to adopt a few pets.
Mateo, who uses mape14 on Reddit, reached out to the Reddit community for advice on how to take care of the little stray dog.
“A lot of people have given me great advice. I took her to the vet and they checked her over, told me everything she’s been through and how I can help her.”
When they got home from the vet, Mateo put the kitten back in his soft nest and waited for it to feel comfortable enough to come close to him.
Mateo said : “I sat next to him, let him take the initiative to gain trust. When he fell asleep next to me, that’s when he realized he was safe.”
“He was shy at first but longed to be cuddled and cared for. I gave him as much attention as I could and gave him everything I could think of.”
The tabby began to earn a lot of money, and its confidence increased. His eyes lit up and he no longer struggled with fleas.
Each day, Mateo finds himself falling more and more in love with the ginger-colored kitten, whom he names Cal after a Star Wars character. Mateo said: “He was a very curious, active and naughty boy who loved to explore around my house and go into hidden places I didn’t know I had”.
“I installed a small camera in my room to monitor it while I was at work. Most of the time it slept until I got home. When I opened the front door, it started meowing until I sat down next to it. it, and it climbed on my lap and fell asleep.”
“Cal changed my life. The feeling of hearing his meow as soon as I entered the house filled me with joy that I have never experienced before. He will definitely be with me forever.”
Mateo never expected that he would rescue a kitten on his way home, let alone keep one. Now, he’s back home with his best friend Cal greeting him at the door and following him around the house.