Last Valentine’s Day, a woman in Quebec, Canada was surprised to hear crying sounds coming from her back garden. Upon investigating, she found an orange tabby cat standing in the snow, looking in need of some tender loving care. The cat meowed as if to say ‘help’ and pawed at her door. The woman, who was a foster volunteer with Un Chat à la Fois, a kitten rescue in Quebec, immediately messaged Marie Simard with a photo of the cat..
At first, it was thought that the cat was lost because of its friendly nature, but upon further examination, it was discovered that he didn’t have a microchip and hadn’t been neutered. So, Marie couldn’t be sure if he’d ever been properly taken care of. “She said she knew we were not taking adult cats and was looking to help him,” Simard, founder of Un Chat à la Fois, told The Dodo.
As soon as Simard saw the photo of the cat, she knew she had to help him. She instructed the woman to take him to their partner clinic so he could be evaluated. The vet found that the cat had multiple health issues. He was covered in bite wounds, fleas, and ticks and was suffering from frostbite, rotten teeth, and diabetes. Simard knew that if the cat hadn’t asked for attention that day, there was no way he would have made it through the freezing cold winter.
The cat was named Aslan, after the lion in “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, by Simard. Aslan’s health improved after a few days, and he went to live in a foster home, where he quickly became friends with his new siblings. Aslan was very grateful to be around people again and was a very affectionate cat. He would sleep close to his foster Mum and would even take his paw out of the cage at the vet so the people would pet him.
Aslan’s new owner couldn’t bring herself to separate him from his new sister cat, Cleo. “He would just sleep next to her, groom her and she would groom him,” Simard said. “It made sense to have them stay together — two rescue cats who had a tough life.”
This heartwarming story shows the importance of animal rescue organizations and the impact that volunteers and foster parents can have on the lives of stray animals. Aslan’s story is a reminder to be kind to all living creatures and to help those who cannot help themselves. It also serves as a reminder to have your pets microchipped and spayed/neutered to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.
