Published Mar 10, 2025
Elio the cat was living on the streets with his puppy companion, Taco, when the two came across a group of friends. The animals walked straight up to them, as if they knew just how to find themselves a couple of forever homes!
“You are not real”
“You are not real,” Elio’s mom said when she first saw him. The little cat and his puppy companion had walked right up to her and her friends.
She was working as a photographer for a music festival in Mexico at the time, and was walking back to the office. Unfortunately, Elio had fleas and scarring on his neck. Despite his condition, he was incredibly affectionate.
The group brought the animals back to the office, where they bathed and fed them. “And then they just never left,” she says.
They considered bringing them back to their hotel that night, but decided against it. She told herself that if the kitten was still there tomorrow, she’d adopt him.
Leaving it up to fate
Elio’s mom had said, “If he’s here tomorrow, it’s meant to be.” She was disappointed when the puppy returned, but he didn’t have the kitten at his side. Maybe she should have taken him back to the hotel last night after all?
They were there working the entire day. Just before they left, Elio the kitten showed up! His mom stuck him in a bag and snuck him into the hotel. Her friend took the puppy, who they named Taco.
Elio’s mom believes he’s around 2.5 years old. She describes him as cool, but not sweet. While he enjoyed cuddles as a kitten, he’s grown into an energetic and independent young cat. He has a free spirit and doesn’t cling to her like he did when he was small. Of course, she still loves him just as much now as she did back then!
What to do if you find a kitten outside
If you find a kitten outdoors who looks too young to be separated from their mother, observe the area from a distance. See if a mama cat or other kittens are nearby. Whenever possible, kittens should be kept with their mother until they’ve been weaned–bottle babies tend to have a high mortality rate.
If the kitten has been orphaned or abandoned by their mother, bring them indoors and keep them warm. According to Dr. Sarah Wooten, 75°F is a good room temperature to warm up kittens that you’ve found outside. Provide the kitten with fresh water.
If they don’t have teeth, feed them formula made specifically for kittens (not cows milk or human formula). If they do have teeth, feed them a mix of canned kitten food and formula.
Bring them to the veterinarian as soon as you can to ensure that they’re healthy. If you have other pets, keep them separated from the kitten until you know if they’re carrying any infectious diseases or parasites.
Kittens with a mother can still be a part of a TNR (trap, neuter, release). This typically involves capturing the mom and all of her kittens, then fostering them until the kittens are weaned. Mama cat can then be adopted if she’s friendly, or spayed and returned outdoors if she’s feral. The kittens can be adopted into their forever homes.
