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. Feral cats exist because of unscrupulous owners.
We too have a tamed feral cat “Olive”. She seemed at times untamable, but now18 months down the track we can handle her and she loves nothing better than tummy rubs( on her terms of course ) Her flight and fight is overdeveloped and she is 80% of the time on high alert.
That said , she is a divine animal who of her own accord hopped up on our bed and snuggled in this morning. That is a first and made my day.
If you are to take on a feral cat you will need to be patient and dedicated to the cause. I can tell though, you it is absolutely worth it !
Mason is beautiful and this story is so wonderful. I am deeply moved. Thank you for sharing!
As a lifelong cat lover and owner…this brought tears to my eyes. Every cat deserves a home and love. I know God will take them all to Heaven and care for them. He created them for us to love and care for but too many humans never do what God planned.
I know he has a sevear kidney problem. My male cat Duffy who past away a year ago also had bad kidneys. One time they were really bad so the vet put him on a fluid drip for I think 2 days to flus them out and make them go back down. From then on I continued to give him I think 10 ml of fluids every day. He eventually succumbed to Fibrosarcoma (cancer) 14 months later. But have you ever thought about giving Mason fluids?
MELTING this is adorable.
Leave a comment