When it comes to cats and dogs, it doesn’t matter if they’re strays or not. If they catch your eye most people will want to know more about them or take care of them in some way.
A feral kitten
When one family encountered a feral kitten, it was love at first sight. It didn’t matter that the kitten would rather hang out in people’s back yards than be a house cat – they were won over from the moment they met him.
Cujo the kitten
They named the kitten Cujo – and so began an adorable relationship. Cujo was pretty skittish, but Amy Jackson and her parents were able to take him to the vets to get him nurtured and give him his first round of shots. They fed him diligently every day for 16 years.
Caring for him
A lot can change with the passing of time, and Amy and her parents moved to a new house. Despite their efforts to trap and relocate Cujo, he was too smart for them. He didn’t understand that they were trying to help him.
The only solution was to continue to feed Cujo in his own territory.
Every day, Amy would leave bowls of food and water for the cat her family had protected since his kitten days.
Now that Cujo was an elderly gentleman, he wasn’t able to hunt for prey like he once had, and his teeth weren’t as sharp as they used to be.
Accustomed to being cared for
The stray now relied on Amy’s daily serving of canned food – and nothing would stop her from providing it.
So when Redditor NeverVarsity moved into a rental property that just so happened to be on Cujo’s territory, it didn’t take long for a note to appear under his car windshield.
A special note
The note was written by Amy, and began:
“Hello, my name is Amy Jackson and I’ve heard that you might be the new owners (or long term renters) from your neighbor across the street. You have probably noticed the 3 bowls and an orange/white cat in the back yard.”
Protecting Cujo
Amy explained that Cujo was a big part of her family’s history, in his own unique way.
She asked the new renter not to call animal control because “he has lived such a long life and should spend his last days in a familiar environment”. She also said that the gentleman that owns the house behind the renters “offered to let us feed him in his yard.”
At the end of the letter, Amy left her phone number and email address “in case you have any questions or concerns”.
NeverVarsity posted a photo of the letter on Reddit.
He captioned the photo: “Found this under my windshield this morning. Good people still exist!”
Having a pet satisfies our need for attention, as pets typically display unconditional love – and that releases chemicals in the brain that make us feel good.
But Amy and her family had an entirely one-sided relationship with Cujo. Yes, perhaps they feel some satisfaction to catch a glimpse of him, but it’s not like Cujo is the petting, cuddling type.
Amy’s diligence in feeding Cujo every day is a heartwarming act of kindness.
It’s not only other humans we need to look out for. Misunderstood stray animals like Cujo also count on our support.
Loving feral cats
If you don’t have space in your home, but you have plenty of room in your heart, consider contacting your local animal shelter to enquire about feral cats.
Many shelters are looking for people with homes or farms in rural areas, who can provide food and shelter for feral cats that would rather live wild – but have a place to sleep and a bowl of food to return to at night.
You can read the full discussion about Amy’s heartwarming note on this Reddit thread. We love just how far Amy was willing to go to make sure Cujo was provided for and kept safe.
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