When Stewie was found in Manhattan, his body was bruised and his tail was broken. It is hard to tell if he was a victim of abuse or a car accident. Whatever the case, Stewie was in pain. He was picked up by animal control and turned over to a NYC rescue group. He had to have his tail operated on and needed special care. He came to our rescue to recover after the surgery and wait for a forever home.

The beginnings were hard. He was still recovering from a surgery and trauma and had to be kept in a cage. Anytime we walked over to give him food, water or clean his litter box he would move to a corner in panic hissing and growling. He was simply terrified and there was nothing we could do but patiently wait. He was not the first kitty with trust issues that came to our rescue. In fact, we have 5 cats that found a sanctuary in our home that never learned to trust a human completely.

But Stewie’s story was different.

He was recovering fast and we soon decided to release him from his cage. It was a risky move as we thought we had a better chance to socialize him when he was not hiding under furniture. But we hate to see animals in cages and soon Stewie was roaming around the house, keeping his distance.

Then, a miracle happened.

It was a slow but noticeable change. He began by approaching us during his feeding time.. then found his spot on a couch. Then there were a few moments, when we managed to scratch him behind his ear. He seemed to like it because hissing and growling stopped. But, we did not believe that Stewie would become a friendly cat until one day when I picked him up. Something amazing happened then. Stewie wrapped his paws around my neck like a child who never wants to let his parent go. It was such a special moment.

Today Stewie is a love bug. His favorite spot is on our arms. Once there, there is no pushing him away. We hope to find him loving home where he can feel safe and wanted.