Published Feb 25, 2025
Sona Hrantouni has been rescuing animals since she was 15 years old. She’s always wanted to save them all, and dreamt of living in a house full of animals.
So when Sona came across a tiny, sick kitten in the streets of Armenia, she couldn’t leave him behind. Little did she know that her new rescue would become a giant cat with a sassy personality to match!
A kitten left on the street
Sona was running between meetings in Yerevan, Armenia when she came across a sick kitten lying in the street. This left her with a difficult choice: she couldn’t miss her meeting or attend it with a sick kitten in hand, but she couldn’t abandon this poor cat either!
While a few other people lingered, commenting on how cute the kitten was and wondering what was wrong with him, no one seemed to be taking action. Thinking on her feet, Sona took a video of the kitten and sent it to her mother, asking her to please help.
Sona’s mom arrived quickly and rushed the kitten to the vet, where his eyes and stomach were checked. He was found to have infections, which were cured after just a couple of weeks on medication. Now, Sona says, he’s perfect!
Helping Arev recover from his illness
Sona named the kitten Arev. While he seemed peaceful at rest, he was aggressive when receiving medical treatment, such as the drops used to treat his eye infection. He must have had no idea what was happening to him or how lucky he was to be rescued.
Even after recovery, it seems he isn’t the most grateful cat. Sona describes his personality while sick as friendly but says he became arrogant as he grew more comfortable in his new home. What a typical cat!
Growing into his big personality (and body!)
Arev is also playful, energetic, and enjoys his time with Sona’s other pets. He also grew up into a very large and fluffy cat. He used to be the size of his own tail.
According to his mom, Arev has some strange behaviors. For instance, he’s not a cuddly cat, but will sometimes come very close and stare at her in the night. She’ll wake up to him watching her, perhaps checking on her in her sleep.
Because Arev was so small, Sona worried how he’d integrate with her other cat and two dogs. This is no longer a concern, both due to his growth spurt and because they get along well with one another. He plays with the other cat’s tail and they like to groom each other.
The four pets live in harmony, and even play games like hide and seek. Sona also likes to play jazz music for them to listen to as a family and says that the animals enjoy the routine.
She loves seeing the four of them waiting outside her bedroom door each morning and living a slow, peaceful life with them. She may have to rush at work, but can come home to the solitude she’s always dreamed of.
Sona hopes that her story will inspire more people to adopt, rather than purchase from breeders. As she says, there’s no reason to buy an animal when they will find you!
