Watch What Happens When a Battle-Scarred Feral Cat Meets Tiny Kittens (Updates)
This is Mason.
Mason is an "ancient, battle-scarred" feral cat that was taken in as part of a local TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) program. Mason was rescued from his life on the streets by Tinykittens, a nonprofit organization in British Columbia.
His battle-worn appearance, permanent scowl and old, tattered ears speak to a harsh life spent on the streets. Upon further examination, Mason was found to have a severely infected paw, abscesses in his teeth, and advanced kidney disease, which, unfortunately, means Grandpa Mason may have months, not years, to live.
"Instead of euthanasia, we felt he deserved to live his sunset months in comfort, free from pain," writes Tinykittens on their Facebook page.
Mason was the definition of feral; Any attempt to pet him was met with the only response a feral cat knows, fear and aggression.
But thanks to Tinykittens and their team of caring foster parents, Mason, who would likely have been euthanized at a shelter, has begun adjusting to a life inside his forever foster home.
But that's not what makes this cantankerous grandcat's story so very remarkable. When his rescuers introduced him to a litter of foster kittens in need of some paws-on TLC, they never expected Mason to react the way he did.
He seems to have fallen in love with the kittens, sweetly cuddling up to them and protecting them from danger. Watch Grandpa Mason's big, protective paw wrap around tiny Scrammy to keep him safe from the big, yellow "sky snake."
The kittens bring a more youthful, energetic side out in the cantankerous old tabby, who will live out his sunset months in a loving, happy environment. (I keep waiting for him to chase the kittens and yell, "Get off my lawn, you whippersnappers!")
This article was first published in May of 2017. As of October 25th, according to some adorable videos on TinyKittens' Twitter, Grandpa Mason and his kittens are still as cuddly as ever.
Though Grandpa Mason is still living with terminal kidney disease and there is no certainty how long he will continue to thrive, Grandpa Mason has really been a lifesaver for the kittens of TinyKittens - and all the other homeless or feral cats out there on the streets.
LIVE! Grandpa Mason's first snuggles with our new litter of orphaned kittens: https://t.co/CDNxSS3wvl pic.twitter.com/fGVk0uSd3B
— TinyKittens HQ (@tinykittensHQ) July 11, 2017
According to TinyKittens' case study on Mason, the only way to solve the issue of cat overpopulation is to change the perception of homeless and feral cats. "Mason has introduced millions of people to feral cats, proving they are worthy of compassion and that they have value -- even if they are old, broken "lost causes"."
Grandpa Mason gets trapped under a pile of kittens! https://t.co/hD35ziKGVf pic.twitter.com/a7xSriPyMx
— TinyKittens HQ (@tinykittensHQ) June 15, 2017
"The more we show that these invisible, unwanted cats have value, the closer we get to a society where spaying and neutering is the rule, rather than the exception."
Grandpa Mason thinks there is much to teach this impudent Bean Bunny 😄 pic.twitter.com/guegB3OUyD
— TinyKittens HQ (@tinykittensHQ) October 25, 2017
You can continue to follow Grandpa Mason's story and even watch LIVE videos of Mason playing and caring for his foster kittens on Facebook.
Beautiful story – God Bless the people who care for abandoned animals! What a sweetie. All any of us needs is love ?
thank you for sharing. Mason is a beautiful cat and he is still a kitten inside. and thank you for taking the time to care for him.
second the fluids. lactated ringers will help flush his kidneys and make him feel better in general. they helped one cat I knew with kidney disease live an extra year.
second the fluids. lactated ringers will help flush his kidneys and make him feel better in general. they helped one cat I knew with kidney disease live an extra year.
Grandpa Mason is in good hands, being taken care of by one of the top foster mums in Canada or the USA. He has special food, lots of fresh water, 4 cats to play with, and gets visits from kittens that Shelly is fostering.
She is in a sense rewriting the book on caring for feral queens so that they can have their babies in safety, and possibly become socialised enough to be adoptable. The babies are socialised from day one, and all are spayed or neutered before adoption. The queens are spayed and kept for further socialisation, or if they are not interested, returned to their colony. The colonies are fed regularly, and any cat needing medical attention is brought in and cared for.
Shelly has organised two all volunteer run Fix-a-thons, where colony cats are trapped on one day, and spayed or neutered the next day, and released as they show they are ready for return. Any cat that is not well enough for its surgery, or thought to possibly be pregnant is kept until well enough then has its surgery, or until the babies are weaned. Injuries are also taken care of, as well as dental issues. They then recover until either socialised and adopted or returned to their colonies. Of course, any cat that shows promise of socialisation is kept and eventually adopted. Over 20 so-called feral cats have turned in their feral cards for the life of comfort and love with carefully screened adopters.
Shelly has written several case studies on the feral queens she has brought in to Tiny Kittens Headquarters, in an effort to educate others on how to help care for pregnant ferals. Information can be found on her site at tinykittens.com. Every cat deserves a life free of pain and suffering, hunger, and danger. Spaying & neutering your pets is a good start towards reducing the population of cats in the wild. “Rescue locally, educate globally”, is Shelly’s motto.
Teaching is a big thing with Shelly, and she has helped create a school program with a teacher from her local area to educate children about compassion, caring for animals, responsibility, and of course spay & neuter.
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