Gerrie and Loki like spending time in their huge catio, where they can play and rest while watching the world go by on the outside. One day, a new cat stepped up to the catio to say hello and introduce himself. Initially, the animals’ parents believed that he was an abandoned cat in the neighborhood and didn’t pay attention to him until he returned, when a neighbor revealed that he had been living in the area for years as a stray cat.
As soon as they heard it, they nicknamed him Ziggy and began attempting to win him over.
Ziggy started visiting twice a day for food, but he was first frightened to be touched because of his fear of being handled. His new friends wanted him to be as comfortable as possible whenever he visited, so they decided to build him a modest home of his own. They reasoned that if he remained hostile as the winter months approached, he would at least have a warm place to stay, so they started feeding him in there to get him used to the environment. It worked!
Ziggy seemed to love the home and eventually warmed up to the couple, but it was clear that he had a long way to go before he felt comfortable with them.
In an interview with The Dodo, the kittens’ mother, Renee (who asked that her last name not be published), said: “After a few weeks of breastfeeding, I was finally able to touch him while he was eating.” When he completed his dinner, however, he refused to allow anybody to touch him.”
It wasn’t until one day that they discovered Ziggy curled up in his small house, wounded and in need of assistance that they realized they had to act quickly. They debated whether they should simply continue to feed him outside until he was more comfortable or try to take him inside, but ultimately decided to take him inside. They rushed him to the veterinarian, where he had the required surgery, and then took him back home.
“After he had surgery, we kept him in a different room for a few of days,” Renee recounted. “After a few of days, we allowed him to visit Gerrie and Loki again.” As a result, we chose to retain Ziggy since they were still getting along.
Ziggy had a little outside house built for him by the couple so that he could have his own safe haven — but in the end, it was their home where he really found shelter and comfort in the form of a brand-new forever family, thanks to the couple’s generosity.
It took some time, but Ziggy has finally been completely acclimated to his new surroundings and is really loving his new life. After his new parents helped him recover and provided him with such excellent care, it seemed that he had come to understand that they weren’t that terrifying after all. The most recent addition to his list of favorite activities is stretching out near the window and sleeping next to the warm dishwasher. In spite of the fact that he no longer has his own modest house, he still likes spending time outdoors with Gerrie and Loki, who he now shares the big, large catio with.
The three cats now enjoy hanging out together, watching the world go by and keeping an eye out for any stray cats in need of a home.