In the fall of 2015, a dreadful hoarding scenario resulted in the birth of Pippin and several other kittens in an abandoned farmhouse. The lady who was accused of animal hoarding and mistreatment in the past, yet she still managed to do the same offenses, was the owner of all the cats.
All of the kittens and cats—many of which were pregnant—were saved by Humane Society International (HSI) Canada when they arrived. The humane organization had 91 cats in its care when everyone had been rescued and all the mother cats had given birth.
Little Pippin was unfortunately one of several of the kittens that were severely ill and just holding on to life when they were saved.
“Pippin was among those considered too weak to pull through,” Liam McConnell, Pippin’s new dad, told. “His condition was terrible. He was severely underweight, weak, filthy and his fur was matted. HSI Canada had to be very gentle with him because of his fragility.”
Despite how sick he was, Pippin’s rescuers still had hope that he would pull through, and he was placed with one of the rescue’s foster moms, Sayara Thurston. She cared for Pippin around the clock, and as time passed, little Pippin somehow pulled through. He grew stronger and stronger until he was finally out of the woods and ready to go and find his forever family.
Not long after he was put up for adoption, McConnell and his girlfriend, Ani Unrau, found out about Pippin through a friend, and immediately knew he was meant to be the newest addition to their family.
We were debating getting another cat because we already had a stunning elder cat named Gabi, but as soon as we saw Pippin’s image, we fell in love with him, McConnell said. “That same day, we began the adoption procedure. We felt we had to assist when we heard about his plight and saw that HSI Canada was issuing an urgent plea for adoption for these… kitties.
The couple was thrilled when Pippin’s adoption was immediately authorized. On the day they were finally able to bring him home, they were very happy, but Pippin was a little hesitant to join his new family after everything he had gone through.
The first few weeks of his existence “were chaotic between the farmhouse, the emergency shelter, the foster family, and then our home,” McConnell recalled. He emerged from the cat container after a little while and immediately scurried under the sofa when we opened it. For the remainder of the day, he hid there.
The couple placed Pippin’s food and water bowls beneath the sofa with him in order to give him time and space to acclimate, and then placed Gabi in their bedroom. After everyone had fallen asleep, they thought he would emerge and start to explore a little bit, becoming comfortable with his new surroundings.
McConnell decided to sleep on the couch that night, just in case Pippin needed anything — and before long, the little kitten came out from under the couch and claimed the entire house as his own.
“By around midnight, Pip had become comfortable enough to waltz around our house like he owned the place,” McConnell said. “He even played with me that night! We were thrilled he was adjusting so quickly.”
From that moment on, Pippin felt completely safe and comfortable with his new home and family. It’s now been almost three years since Pippin arrived, and he still runs around the house like an excited kitten, knocking into things and chasing everything he can find.
After barely surviving his first few months of life, Pippin is now full of energy and love, and he isn’t taking a moment of his life for granted.
As McConnell looked at Pippin dozing down on the couch across the room, she remarked, “It tears my heart to think of what those poor animals went through, and I’m so filled with respect for his resilience. He was born into the worst possible circumstances, and for the rest of his life, he deserves nothing but pleasure and happiness.
