Matea noticed a little fluff ball on the side of the road a few months ago while riding home from work. The fluff turned out to be a little stray kitten walking alone close to a major crossing when she pedaled closer and saw it for what it was: fluff.
Matea told The Dodo, “People were simply walking by and not even pausing, which made me realize he probably wouldn’t get the treatment he needed.” I’ve always had a soft heart for animals in need, so when I saw him so little, wandering about without anybody caring, I knew I had to take action.
Matea pulled over, and carefully approached the kitten. But when she scooped him up, he relaxed in her hands, as if he was grateful someone had noticed him. “He made no move to run away,” Matea said. “Maybe he realized I was there to help.”
Matea placed the kitten in her backpack, where he quickly made himself comfortable. “At first, he was a bit fussy when I put him in a backpack,” Matea said. “Soon enough, he got cozy on the dress I had in there and he fell asleep on it … I think he realized he had a soft and secure place to sleep.”
At home, Matea named the tiny tabby Gizmo and allowed him to keep sleeping in her backpack where he felt safe. Matea and her boyfriend knew the kitten was in bad shape, so they drove him to the vet where he was examined, given fluids, dewormed and treated for fleas.
Gizmo soon began to feel better and quickly began to show his endearing personality.
He is like the Energizer rabbit, Matea said, bouncing around, biting at your ankles, and playing with all of his toys. “On sometimes, he will hop on my back, as though remembering that trip on my back when I first found him.”
Gizmo and Matea have quickly settled into a routine, and the little cat always wants to be as close as possible to his mom.
“He loves snuggling up to me when I wake up in the morning and when I get back from work,” Matea said. “We start every morning with him taking a nap in my lap for half an hour while I drink my morning coffee.”
Now, Matea can’t picture her life without Gizmo and is always grateful that she took the time to stop on that fateful day.
“I just want my story to maybe entice someone else to keep an eye out for the most vulnerable animals,” Matea said, “and help in any way they can.”
