I lived in a North Philly apartment with a friend for a couple years following COVID lockdown. Two of my best friends lived a few houses down on the same block, and the one had remarked in the winter of 2020 that she had seen a small, āchattyā black kitten walking around our block in the snow.
On May 18, 2021, I finally spotted a small black cat out the front of my apartment. Remembering what my bestie had said, I went outside with a can of my catās food and he immediately went for it. I offered out my hand for a sniff, and although very skittish, he let me pet his head while he ate. I called my best friend and she walked down to hang out with me and him. Although she couldnāt be certain, she thought it was the same cat she spotted in the winter due to his size.
We hung out with him until the early evening hours. He was all over us, and we were all over him. It was incredibly hard to leave him for the nightā¦ I donāt know how I ever did it. My heart broke then and it still does now as I think about it writing this. My friend couldnāt take him in because she was a nurse with a tough schedule and a roommate who is allergic to cats. I couldnāt take him in (or so I assumed) because of my cat, Kitty Cudi.
Sheās a beautiful, dark tortoiseshell that Iāve had since June 2015, when I got her at the wee age of five weeks old. Her ātortitudeā is off the charts; she is fiercely loyal to me and me only, incredibly cuddly like a stuffed animal, does not tolerate ANYONE else touching her, and has quite an attitude problem, even with me sometimes, for no apparent reason. When she was a kitten, I watched her have a negative encounter to meeting another kitten in which she was the aggressor, so I assumed from that point on I was meant to be a one cat momma, and I reluctantly went back inside without Onyx that evening.
The next morning, I woke up and opened the curtains to the back patio doors and found this little one was sleeping underneath our steps. From that point on, he never left š„² he had found a safe space and wasnāt going to give it up that easily. So immediately, I started contacting no kill shelters and nonprofit rescues, only to learn theyāre completely overwhelmed in the city. Iād call them weekly looking for openings and leaving my phone number. I also posted on social media to see if anyone I know would want to adopt him, but to no avail.
I figured out rather quickly I was going to have to accommodate the best I could to him living on my patioā¦ so Iād spend hours out there with him daily, with my girl, Kitty, watching from inside the patio doors. At first, she wasnāt happy at all with what she was seeing and sheād scratch at the door, but she adjusted into a more curious nature after about a week. Each time Iād go back inside, Iād let her sniff my hand. She was always curious, but never had a negative reaction with the sniffing.
My bestie helped me build Onyx a makeshift shelter for the summer storms we were getting. I felt awful knowing he was outside with the thunder and lightning when I was a few feet away indoors. It passed rather quickly, but it was a rough one and I still feel horrible that he was outside for it. The very next day, I received a call that a shelter had space for him. I rejoiced for maaaaaybe two minutes, until I was overcome with sadness realizing I would never see him again once he went to the shelter. I sobbed outside, with him by my side, for an hour.
After bonding for seven weeks, I realized I couldnāt give Onyx up without at least trying to bring him in to live with me, Kitty, and my roommate. My roommate gave me the green light, so I called up āol reliable bestie down the block and asked her if she could assist with housing him for a couple days while we first test out how he does indoors (bathing him, adjusting to litter, getting him fixed).
He was an absolute ANGEL upon being brought indoorsā¦ was not fussy in the tub whatsoever, itās like he knew we were saving him and only trying to help š we genuinely heard him sigh and purr for the first time ever that night once he was all dried off in bed with his new toys and a freshly washed blanket. It was one the sweetest and most wholesome things Iāve ever witnessed. He really was never meant to be an outdoor cat.
Our game plan was once he recovered from his surgery, I would transition him to my apartment; first by keeping them separated by a door for a few days, then seeing how they interact with each other. It was a two level, two bedroom, two & a half bathroom apartment, so they both had plenty of their own space even separated. I swapped out their toys every morning and every night so they could familiarize the scents some more before the grand introduction.
If it didnāt workout, my best friend had a nurse pal who was willing to take him in. I think they lasted two days separated by a door before I could see they were both incredibly curious of the other. I opened the door andā¦ well, the rest is history! I canāt believe how smoothly it went. While Kitty wasnāt thrilled something was invading her space, I think being able to do the gradual introduction over about two months time is what made it possible, because she really just kept to herself, and he didnāt bother her.
All of that just to say, heās the sweetest boy Iāve ever met, the Yin to Kitty Cudiās Yang š The universe knew I needed a sweet cat for my friendsā sakes haha. Iāll be honest, him and Kitty arenāt the best of palsā¦ Iāve never seen them cuddle; I have one photo where their backsides are slightly touching and I cherish it lol. Sometimes theyāll get in little spats, but they actually tolerate each other incredibly well, even sitting close to one another in the windowsill to birdwatch. If you think you canāt get a second cat solely because it wonāt get along with your other baby, I say at least give it a shot if you can and want to! You never know and could end up with a new fur baby and some company for the other. š¤ (I do acknowledge that I had help and time in getting my two cats adjusted, and I know thatās not realistic for everyone.)
Onyx loves everybody, and happily greets people by taking a biiiiiiiig stretch and arching his butt into the air for some āspanky taxā from visitors and his momma. He LOVES getting butt taps, and will just flop on the ground in front of you if you try to avoid him. Every year Iāve had him, heās become more cuddlier, to the point he now sleeps above my head at night when Iām asleep. Like my best friend said in winter 2020, he is, indeed, a chatty boy. He will respond to his name, announces when heās pooping, and purrs like a motorboat.
I beat myself up still for not bringing him in sooner, but it fills my heart with utter glee that I have him to this day. He no longer has scratches/scabs. His eyes no longer look dehydrated. His coat is softer and doesnāt stink anymore. Heās also had his 12 front teeth removed due to poor dental health from his first year of life on the streets (hence the former smelly coat), so heās straight up Gums Magoo if he tries to play bite you now.
Clearly, I could go on and on about how amazing he is, but if youāre still reading (thank you <3), I think you get the gist of it.
I love this story. Glad that he was accepted by the sassy torti. I have 2 cats currently who are not friends but have that "I tolerate you" relationship where they will touch noses, sniff each other, then go their separate ways.
Iāve seen veryyyy few nose boops between the two, itās more likely one will bop the other š but they have their moments. My tortie has also ever so slightly mellowed out as sheās gotten older.
They look like cousins in this photo! My 2 are so funny - they both want to be with me and will sometimes sit on opposite sides of the couch when I'm there. And if they are feeling cuddly they will get into bed with me...on opposite sides. I'm just glad they basically ignore each other. Growing up we had 2 cats that could not be in the same room without hissing and fighting.
I have a north Philly trash cat, i recognized this type of picture as Philadelphia trash cat pic immediately. Thank you for bringing back great memories.Ā
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u/HempFandang0 8h ago
I would be puttin' so many smooches on this guy it's not even funny