A kitten with a ‘pirate’ smile came out of his shell and began to shine when he no longer needed to hide.
Jen who fosters for City Dogs and City Kitties Rescue (in Washington DC), was contacted about a kitten with a damaged eye. He had been brought into a local shelter and was in desperate need of rescue.
“City Kitties immediately jumped into action and agreed to take him in. I drove over to get him and then went straight to an emergency vet, where they removed the ruptured cornea,” Jen shared with us.
Despite being left with one eye, the prospect of the kitten was so much brighter. He slowly began to learn to adjust to indoor life.
The kitten named Uno was just six weeks old and weighed only 1.5 pounds when Jen brought him home. He was nervous, scared and needed a lot of comfort as he was recuperating from his surgery.
Jen’s husband Ian came to offer some pets and encouragement. He spent ample time with his feline buddy, reassuring him that he was safe.
“Uno quickly adjusted to being a ‘pirate’ but it took him a few weeks to warm up to humans. I used to carry him around in my sweatshirt to get him used to being near people,” Jen told us.
“He would hide in the strangest places, which is funny to look back at now, because he now runs this household.”
Uno started to appreciate the luxury of indoor life and being pampered every day. He was tickled pink to have a consistent source of food, a cozy bed to nap in, and doting foster parents to rub his belly.
Once he was ready to meet the resident cats, he was a bit unsure at first about all the vagaries as he ventured into unchartered territories. Jen helped him acclimate to open spaces in the house by chauffeuring him around.
After a few minutes touring from room to room, Uno was brave enough to poke his head out, check out the other cats and watch their antics from the safety of his pouch.
Hagrid, one of the resident cats, took the kitten under his wing. He decided to show him the ropes, teach him courage, and pass onto him important feline wisdom that he could live by.
A couple of weeks later, Uno needed a second surgery due to some eye issues from the incision site. The surgeon wanted to be certain to get everything out, leaving no chance to infections.
“This resulted in an adorable little ‘sneer’ as the skin was pulled tight and lifted his upper lip upwards. The ‘sneer’ should lessen over time as the skin stretches out, but for now, it makes Uno all the cuter and more mischievous looking.”
During his recovery, Hagrid and Pokey, another feline resident, invited Uno to join in their cuddle puddle.
“He sauntered right in and plopped down between them, cone and all. They gave him a few smooches and then everyone snuggled in for a nice long nap.”
Uno has healed up beautifully and is thriving in his foster home. He has no lingering issues with his eye, and his personality is shining through. He has asthma, which is well controlled by an inhaler. He is excellent about taking medication and exudes so much joy wherever he graces.
Nothing seems to slow him down as he zooms around the house and sneak-attacks like a cannonball.
“Uno tackles his foster brother, Hagrid, and has recently become great friends with a new pair of foster kittens. He is energetic, playful, goofy, and absolutely adorable,” Jen added.
“Uno has been with us almost five months now, and it’s hard to overstate how much we love him. He has such an incredibly sweet, quirky, and endearing personality. My heart melts every time I see his ridiculous and unspeakably adorable little pirate sneer.”
The little guy is brave, silly, sweet and just wants to be in the midst of everything. “Uno may be a big tough pirate, but he’s also a sweet little baby. Someone is going to be very lucky to adopt him.”
