Stray Cat Serenades Rescuers With His Song And Heart, But Is Still In Foster Care After Two Years!

What’s your Reaction?

It was about two years ago that a year-old cat was found at an apartment complex in Dublin, Ireland. His “stray cat strut” apparently included a very loud rendition of the song of his people too. But his vocal serenades that echoed off the complexes parking garage walls were actually what saved him.

So what does one do when a cat serenades you?

From what Linda, a rescuer with Furry Friends Rehoming regaled, you drop everything you’re doing and come to their aid!

We heard him before we saw him, he cried so loudly and desperately that the underground car park echoed from one end to the other. We dropped the heavy armchair we’ve been dragging towards the dumpster to call him over to us.

Hearing cat calls of the local stray and feral cats isn’t something that’s new to Linda though. She had been caring for a colony in the area for years, but this vocalist was new.

We knew he wasn’t part of the colony we’d been managing for years. None of them had such an impressive soprano, not even at feeding times!

It didn’t take much for the crooner to realize his hours of serenades were finally over.

“The cat didn’t have to be encouraged for long,” Linda recalled. “He materialized out of nowhere, rushing towards us like a steamroller and jumped onto the armchair to make us cookies. He was purring his heart out, begging for food with his eyes. It’s like he was an absolute pet from the moment we met him.”

Now it would have been perfect if he hadn’t also been a HUGE and super dirty and smelly cat. It happens all the time with homeless cats that fight to survive and aren’t fixed though. I don’t even want to imagine what messes they get into or are forced to deal with on the streets.

I scooped him up without hesitation. In that moment all tension left his body, he relaxed into the hug and nuzzled his head into the crook of my neck. He let out the biggest sigh of relief we’d ever heard coming from a cat when we placed him into a soft bed after his plentiful meal.

https://www.facebook.com/furryfriendsrehoming/videos/610159595838704/?v=610159595838704

He stayed in out bathroom for a while, away from the other kitties in her foster home. And of course he got to experience a nice, warm bath. He was initially named “Mr. Bojangle’s” but over time, it’s been shortened to Mr. B.

We washed him to see what he looked like underneath all the dirt. He was tolerating his bath with gratitude and patience. His already patchy fur was falling out in clumps, he was in very poor condition!

Despite all he’s been through, Mr. B remained true to his loving, gentle nature.

They needed to get him officially checked out by the veterinarian though, so booked him in for a “makeover” ASAP.

We booked him in to the vet for a blood test and neutering. Friends offered to help us out with a lift to the vet, but when they saw him in the carrier, all they managed was a gasp of adoration: “Holy s***, he’s a big f***** cat!”

At the vet he charmed love confessions out of all the vet nurses, male staff included! Everybody fell in love with him.

Unfortunately Mr. B tested positive for FIV, or the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. It is not a death sentence, but extremely outdated practices and mistaken beliefs do lead these poor cats to being put down often. It does mean that he CANNOT live on the streets, but his life can still be long, healthy and full of joy. With his compromised immune system, it just took him a while longer to build his strength back up. With his strong spirit–and charming purrsonality–it was a pleasure for all of them to be in his growing fan club.

Despite his diagnosis he is the healthiest, happiest cat in the world. He’s on good terms with other cats and he has the loudest purrs in all the land! He is very much in tune with people’s emotions; If he senses any anxiety or discomfort coming from us, he lies down on our chest and purrs into our ears until we feel better like the gentle giant he is. He’ll need a dental very soon as he suffers from gingivitis. Despite being such a good boy, people shy away from adopting him because of his FIV.

https://www.facebook.com/furryfriendsrehoming/videos/624670711054259

But there is another special member in his fan club who was clearly wooed by his serenades.

Since FIV is primarily spread through deep bite wounds and fighting, the fact that he and his new groupie are so close means that she has nothing to worry about “catching”. Always a bonus for a groupie I can imagine!

His biggest fan is another black and white foster cat, Snowy. She is a special 8-year-old lady who spent a few years fending for herself on the streets. Snowy had all of her teeth removed after rescue, and has asthma. She also needs surgery to remove a tumor from her ear in the next few months, once we raise the money for that.

Snowy

After succumbing to Mr. B’s wiles though, Snowy seems to be a big softee just like he is.

Even though she has been through so much, Snowy lives for cuddles, and just wants to snuggle up with you on the sofa or bed.

And the two of them sleeping together or just deservedly relaxing, is about the cutest thing. A bit inspirational too maybe…

The Creation of Adam: Fresco painting by Michelangelo

So the months and years pass by slowly. And Mr. B finds ways to de-stress and keep his vocal surprises sharp. Such as a 6-minute purring video!

https://www.facebook.com/furryfriendsrehoming/videos/501672313693059/

These two gorgeous cats need to find their forever home, or home(s) soon though! Although they are deeply loved, they should have an audience all to themselves. If you are interested in adopting Mr. B and/or Snowy, please be sure to reach out to Furry Friends Rehoming. We’ll be here cheering you all on and expecting an encore purrformance from the star.

All images courtesy of Furry Friends Rehoming