It was June and I was spending my holidays in Istria. Tiger-Lilly – not even a year old back then – was around my house every day. She let me pet her a little by then, but she was still far from being a domesticated house cat.
That she might have kittens? The thought hadn't even crossed my mind.
I just wanted to take precautions
In the week before heading back to Switzerland, I decided to get Tiger-Lilly spayed. After all, I didn't want to come back in September only to find that one Tiger-Lilly had turned into a whole little Tiger-Lilly family.
No sooner said than done. I caught Tiger-Lilly, took her to the vet, had her spayed, and released her back into her familiar surroundings the next day.
And then she came back.
Not alone.
Suddenly, a tiny black-and-white bundle of fur appeared behind her.
I was absolutely stunned.
My freshly spayed Tiger-Lilly was already a mum.
And suddenly, there was Leo
The little guy was definitely no older than four weeks. He could already eat on his own – but that was far from guaranteeing his survival.
He was simply too small for that.
The life of a stray cat has very little to do with the romantic pictures you sometimes picture while on holiday. Where many cats compete for food, there is often nothing left for the smallest ones. They are too slow and can't stand their ground against the bigger cats yet. Unneutered tomcats can also be a danger to a tiny kitten.
That is the reality.
If something happens somewhere that I don't know about, I have to live with it. As hard as that is for me sometimes.
But when I do know about it, I can't just look away.
And I knew that just a few days later, I would be driving back to Switzerland.
So the little black-and-white bundle of fur needed a name – and I needed a plan.
I named him Leo, the fighter.
Sometimes life doesn't stick to principles
Strictly speaking, that isn't the goal of help4cats. I don't want to collect cats from Istria and bring them to Switzerland.
I want to help them there: through spaying and neutering, food and, if necessary, medical care. So that they can live in their familiar environment – and so that, in the long run, there are fewer stray cats.
But sometimes, life doesn't stick to principles.
In Leo's case, there was simply no other solution for me in that moment.
So, without further ado, little Leo embarked on his journey to Switzerland.
From little fighter to absolute super-cat
Today, Leo lives in a wonderful home.
The tiny little fellow who once sat almost invisible in the dry grass has turned into an absolute super-cat.
And if you think that's where Leo's story ends…
… you don't know Leo yet. 😊
There is still a lot more to tell about him.