‘The universe gave me this kind of responsibility’: Tricolor kitten rescued by dog lover just days after family loss, then becomes the little terror named Toffee who brings joy back into her pawrent's life

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• The Tale of Toffee

  “I would like to start off [by saying] that my family and I are more dog people than cat people. So, I was shocked that the Universe gave me this kind of responsibility. Except for my mom's late rottweiler, all of our pets have either been adopted, were given to us by other people, or found. Apparently, my great-grandparents from my mom's side took care of many kinds of animals. I live in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is quite common to see many stray cats and dogs. Back in the 1990s, the stray animal population was worse. I saw a lot of stray dogs and cats wandering around on the streets. Now, thanks to TNR programs,  neutering and spaying programs, and a growing awareness of animal rights and welfare, the stray animal population is improving.

  I'll now share the story of how I met Toffee and her late brother, Dark. One morning, I was sweeping my front yard and I noticed that there was a yellow U-Haul-type truck parked in front of my gate for some minutes. At that time, I didn't think much of it. Some minutes later as I was sweeping the front yard, I heard a kitten's meow. I was shocked to hear this cos my house was literally on the main road (there are barely any sidewalks in residential areas in Jakarta). I opened my gate and saw a tiny tricolored kitten just outside my gate that was probably a month or two old. I looked around for its mom and couldn't find her. I grabbed the kitten and put her in a bucket then showed her to my mom. There was no way I was leaving this kitten to fend for itself on the street. Especially since she could've wandered onto the street and gotten hit by a car or motorcycle. I named her Toffee."

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• "After leaving Toffee with my mom, I returned to sweeping the front yard. Some minutes later, I heard another kitten. At the time I was thinking "There are two?!" I quickly went out my gate desperately looking for the other one. Fortunately, it was sitting near a plant meowing for its sister (which I had rescued earlier). I also put him in the same bucket together with his sister and named him Dark because he was completely black. Because I had no idea how to take care of kittens and have only been able to see stray mother cats (that come to my house for food) take care of their kittens, I called up cat lovers and cat rescues if they could bring them in. Unfortunately, both options were a bust. To be honest, I felt completely overwhelmed by this responsibility to the point I cried because I had no knowledge of taking care of orphaned kittens. Fortunately, one of my cat-loving cousins was able to help guide me. So, began a new chapter and experience in my life."

• Where there is one kitten, there are usually more. That's something I've learned in my many years of reading about cat rescues. There's also usually a mama cat nearby, but they can be harder to find as they leave to hunt when they have to.

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• “I created a space for them, fed them, taught them how to use the kitty litter box, played with them, and formed a bond with them. I remember for the next few mornings, I took them out for a walk in my neighborhood, hoping that their mom would be nearby. Unfortunately, no mom came looking for them.  But I did enjoy going for walks with them. Sadly, 16 days after I rescued them, Dark suddenly passed away. I was heartbroken to see his body first thing in the morning. I don't know [why he passed] but he was smaller than his sister. I buried him in the morning. I was afraid that Toffee would be sad but she seemed to have handled it well. I let her sleep with me for some months after that.”

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• "Coincidentally, I had lost my cousin, whom I was very close to. She had [passed away] three days before I rescued those kittens. Now, Toffee is thriving and growing. She is often my muse on my IG posts. I still take her for walks around the neighborhood. One time I took her to the bank and started a nice conversation with the bank teller (she was sharing about her cats and dog). I feel that Toffee deserves to safely see the world. Plus, it gives me a reason to get out and check out my neighborhood. Don't be fooled by her size. She may be small but she is a monster when it comes to food and when I have to trim her nails. Just yesterday, I saw her go after the strays' food (even though she had already eaten minutes earlier) and those two strays are bigger than her and they seemed scared of this tiny terror! That's the story of Toffee and the late Dark. I hope that you enjoyed reading it. Thanks for this opportunity. I hope others will also enjoy reading my story.”

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