Stray Cat ‘Plaintively Wails’ the First Night He’s Brought Inside, But Soon Becomes One of the Family

Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/rescue-story-halloween-zeus/

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My then 12-year-old daughter was infatuated with all animals. We lived in a mobile home park, and she would see this little black kitten run across the street, hide under a home, come across our street, and hide on the neighbor’s stairs, so she took to gently playing with him and giving him food.

zeushalloween3 - Stray Cat ‘Plaintively Wails’ the First Night He’s Brought Inside, But Soon Becomes One of the Family — PHOTO: ALESHA OLIVER LANE

One night it was so cold, we brought him in and put him in a pop up cat tent. We kept him separate from our other four cats to observe him and in case of illness, and he made the most plaintive wails, I told her to let him back out the next day. It seemed he was either scared, feral, or both.

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The little guy had burrowed into my heart, so we watched and fed him for a few more days. Then I saw the neighborhood kids being mean and aggressive to other animals, so we scooped up the kitten and took him to our vet, literally two blocks away. He was deemed to be under a year old and in good health, and the more my daughter and I loved on him, he became less scared.

zeushalloween1 - Stray Cat ‘Plaintively Wails’ the First Night He’s Brought Inside, But Soon Becomes One of the Family — PHOTO: ALESHA OLIVER LANE

We took him home and kept him in my room. My daughter and her twin came up with the name “Halloween” due to his coloring and because it was a couple of days away from the holiday. I came up with “Zeus” for his middle name, due to him being a fighter, and my childhood obsession with Greek and Roman mythology.

Halloween Zeus is the most horizontal, laid back, gentle soul I have ever and will ever meet. Now also known as “Bat Kitty,” “French Kitty,” and “Little Man,” he loves cuddles, music, and gentle chin rubs! He was diagnosed with IBS, pancreatitis and diabetes a couple of years ago, after suffering tummy problems for awhile. He continues to fight the ailments, loving to hang now with mommy more than his adult sisters, and just celebrated his 10th birthday the same day as his adult sisters turned 22-years-old.

It pains me to recall what he went through before us, and I am so thrilled that my daughter persevered in getting sweet “Ween” to gain her trust and brought him into our family that became five cats, him being number five.