“He couldn’t have been more than a couple of weeks old” 😰
Two months ago, Francis was relaxing on his porch with his cat, Lilah, when he heard a faint, unfamiliar cry coming from down the street.
“I kept thinking I heard a little mew,” Francis told The Dodo. Being a cat parent already, he recognized the sound and decided to investigate. Half a block down, he discovered a tiny kitten trapped behind the grille of a parked truck.
“He couldn’t have been more than a couple of weeks old,” Francis said.
The kitten, pressed against the metal bars, seemed unsure of what to do — until, in an unexpected twist, he wriggled free on his own and immediately started rubbing against Francis’ foot, signaling that he’d chosen a safer life indoors.
With two rescued cats already at home, Francis was ready to help. He scooped up the kitten, cleaned him up, and created a small quarantine space in his bathroom to treat him for fleas and let him settle in safely.
“I turned my bathroom into his little sanctuary,” Francis said. “It gave him space to recover and allowed Lilah and Ming to adjust to a new sibling at their own pace.”
Once Stinky — as Francis nicknamed him — finished his quarantine, he was allowed to explore the rest of the house. While Lilah and Ming were initially hesitant, Stinky was fearless, curious, and endlessly affectionate, eager to play and snuggle with anyone who would give him attention.
“He’s clingy and cuddly and just wants to be involved in everything,” Francis said. “He’s fearless… except when it comes to cars, which makes sense.”
Initially, Francis wasn’t sure he could keep Stinky. He had recently lost his job and didn’t know how his older cats would react. He planned to foster the kitten temporarily until a forever home could be found. But over time, the little feline charmed his way into Francis’ heart, and Stinky stayed.
“Of course, I’ve grown attached, and it seems like the older cats are starting to warm up to him a bit,” Francis said.
Now, a few months later, Stinky is thriving. Though Francis is still navigating uncertainty — searching for a new job and watching the older cats slowly adjust — one thing is clear: Stinky will always be loved.
“Whether it’s me or someone else, he’s going to have a loving home,” Francis said.