Aurore and Mickael were on their way to Chatons Orphelins Montréal, a cat rescue in Montreal, Canada, when they noticed something moving under a pile of leaves and twigs, on the side of the road.
They took a closer look and saw tufts of hair poking out from the pile, and realized there was a cat hiding in the dirt. The little stray was frozen in fear and wouldn’t budge. The couple was very concerned and immediately notified their rescue for help.
Celine Crom of Chatons Orphelins Montréal dropped everything at hand and rushed to the location. When she arrived, the kitten was still there with his head tucked in the leaves.
“He buried his face in the pile. He was petrified, trying to remain hidden the whole time,” Celine shared with Love Meow.
She gently scooped up the kitten who didn’t resist or try to escape. “He was so scared that he was shaking like a leaf. He was so small and very skinny.”
Celine took the kitten straight to the vet, and arranged a foster home where he could be cared for and learn to socialize.
The kitten was estimated to be seven months old. He was very timid and hid behind a snuggle toy at the vet. Slowly but surely, he began to warm up to people.
Underneath all the fluff, he was just skin and bones, and very small for his age. The kitten was named Mika after Mickael, the person who spotted him.
“Mika was lucky to be found just in time before the snow,” Celine added.
After a long ordeal, the kitten went to his foster home where he was given a quiet, comfortable room.
He was still very shy but could finally relax and get some much-needed shut-eye. Mika fell asleep that night with a full belly and all the worries behind him.
Laeticia, the foster mom, provided plenty of good food, lots of love and all the time the kitten needed to adjust.
To help Mika overcome his fear around people, she gently wrapped him in a towel and cuddled with him several times throughout the day. The kitten averted eye contact at first, but once he realized he was safe, he started to let out a little purr.
Once Mika was ready to meet other feline friends, Laeticia’s resident cats took him under their wing.
Mika looked up to the older cats and learned to be brave by watching them interact with their humans. He gained confidence and started to show interest in his people.
“He was very timid at first but with a lot of patience, he began to trust,” Celine shared with Love Meow. “Mika really connected with the resident cat and started to enjoy life indoors.”
With his new-found confidence, his playful and adventurous side came out in full swing.
He became braver and even started to seek attention from people. With the help of the resident cats and unconditional love from his foster mom, Mika felt like a kitten again, scampering around the house, climbing everything he could lay his paws on.
“He became more confident and didn’t run away out of fear any more,” Celine said. “He began to spend more time with his humans at night, making progress every day.”
The fluffy kitty grew to enjoy the company of people, and would follow his humans around the house to be close with them.
The once scrawny little stray has transformed into a fluffy, magnificent panther cat.
