In Egypt, purebred Persian cats are purrchased as status symbols. A year later, they are tossed out on the street to face starvation, illness and apawling abuse… while the family buys a new kitten. A handful of cats are furtunate enough to get out of Egypt. Meet three of those lucky cats.

KATNISS: Cloud, you have such a loving home now where you’re wanted and loved. How do you get past your hisstory of cruelty and neglect?

Cloud

CLOUD: I may have a broken face and one eye, but I still have love in my heart. I know I’m safe now and fur that I’m grateful. I show my appurrciation fur my furever Humans by snuggling up with them in bed and purring every chance I get.

KATNISS: You are lucky to have Humans who were willing to take a chance on you… and two others. All of you have suf-fured greatly, and you are FIV+ and have a purrmanent cat flu.

CLOUD: So I’m not purrfect – have you seen my floof? MOL!

Toast

KATNISS: Toast, you were adopted next. You were not listed as special needs, but have been described as having a “broken spirit.” 

TOAST: Yeah, even the little things tend to freak meowt. I have a lot of PTS, you know? Furtunately, the Humans are patient with me and have let me come around in my own time. I’m not sure I’ll ever get past my past, but I’m trying.

Mystery

KATNISS: Mystery, you were the last one adopted. Befur you came to live with your furever family, you were in a pet store, crammed in a cage with turtles. 

MYSTERY: Yes, it was not comfurtable for me or the turtles. I’m lucky the furever Humans wanted to help meowt because I’ve got all kinds of purroblems caused by inbreeding. My legs are bowed, my growth is stunted and I have arthritis. But my Humans think I’m beautiful.

KATNISS: You are! You all are! Purrsonally, I think your so-called defects make you more beautiful… although I wish none of you had to suf-fur like you did. So what made your Humans look outside of the UK to find you?

CLOUD: In London, most rescue grrroups won’t adopt cats to people who want to keep them indoors only. Since our Humans live in a flat, keeping us cats indoors is really the only option.

KATNISS: It’s also the safest one! Wow, that’s just so diffurent from America.

CLOUD: Yeah. So the Humans looked online and one by one, found us. And now life couldn’t be better. We’ve got boxes, we’ve got beds, we’ve got laps… and we’ve got each other.

KATNISS: You all have such diffurent purrsonalities, yet you seem like a set. 

CLOUD: We are! And together, we try to advo-cat for others who are still out there on the streets.

KATNISS: I’m giving you a platfurm now – what do you want to tell the Humans reading this interview?

CLOUD: That we don’t really need an industry that breeds animals when there are so many needing homes.

MYSTERY: Purreach.

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Follow Cloud, Toast and Mystery on Instagram.