Around this time two years ago I was in Edgar, Nebraska, visiting my roommate's brother, Matt. Matt worked at a grocery store in Edgar, and when we went to visit him he had us come with him to the lot behind the store. He carried a giant bag of cat food, and my heart sank as soon as he opened the door to the frigid outside. There were about five cats sitting atop boxes and dog kennels Matt had stuffed with blankets. The cats eagerly rushed toward us, as they meowed and rubbed against our legs in hopes of receiving food.
Matt explained how there is a mother cat who had had a litter of kittens behind the store earlier in the year. The cats would travel as a pack around town to find food, but would always reside in the haven he had created behind the store.
I love animals, so this was absolutely heartbreaking for me to see. After petting them for a while I was reminded that it was time to leave. I looked back at the cats one last time as I walked away, and that moment changed my life. I saw a cat with the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen before, and he instantly ran up to me and started rubbing against my legs and meowing with a very weak voice.
I could not bear to leave this cat behind to live outside with a Nebraskan winter approaching. I took a picture of the little guy, and sent it to my mom, explaining that we had to take him home. I would have just done it myself, but I lived in the dorms at the time, so my hands were tied.
She instantly said the cat was beautiful, but we could not take him because it would not work out with our cat, Sophie, who we have had for around 7 years.
A couple of weeks went on, and I begged (maybe harassed is a better word) my mom to drive to Edgar with me to save the kitten. She finally caved to my endless pleas, and we got him, and decided to name him Oliver.
We took him to a vet a few days after having him at home, and we found out he would not have made it much longer on his own; he had horrible ear mites, was extremely underweight, and had roundworms living in his stomach, which took all of the nutrients from the food he would eat.
Weeks passed and he came back to health. Everybody at my house fell in love with Oliver, except Sophie, but I think she secretly likes him.
Oliver is crazy; he will run around my house at all times of the night jumping on furniture or picking fights with Sophie. He’s very sweet, and he loves relaxing around the rest of my family. He’s an awesome damn cat, man.
Open up your heart, and your home, next time you see a stray animal…trust me, it’ll change your life.
