Published Mar 11, 2025
Mittens the cat was semi-feral when his family first found him in the cold one winter. He was terrified of people, but clearly needed help, as he was also injured and it was very cold outside.
Luckily, he found some patient humans who were willing to give him time and put in the work to help him out. Now, he lives happily in their multi-cat home.
Injured and afraid
When his family first found Mittens, he wasn’t fully feral–but he wasn’t quite friendly, either. A semi-feral cat is one who has some trust in humans, likely from previous interactions, but is still wary of them. It often takes them longer to settle into an indoor lifestyle since human interaction can be so frightening for them.
That meant that this stray cat needed a lot of time, patience, and love before he would accept human affection. In the early days, Mittens did a lot of hiding and didn’t voluntarily interact with his human family.
He was also injured while outside, so his family knew he needed to see a veterinarian. It took a few vet visits before he was fully healthy again, and a lot longer before he was comfortable in his new home.
His family kept interacting with him every day, showing him love without pushing past the scared cat’s boundaries. Slowly, he began to accept pets from them.
Meeting the new kitten
What really got Mittens out of his shell was his family’s new kitten. He enjoys being around their other cats, and these two have a special bond. Some older cats really love having a new kitten around, and Mittens is one of those cats. He fell head over heels in love.
The kitten also seemed to help Mittens learn to trust his new home and the people in it. Sometimes, seeing other cats interact positively with humans can help a feral or semi-feral cat learn to trust.
He grooms the little one and they cuddle together. After meeting the kitten, Mittens stopped hiding as much and started to play with toys. Finally, his family was able to see his personality, and the change in him was incredible. Their goal had always been for Mittens to one day be a happy, confident cat.
They say that Mittens is a real charmer who loves his family and is super playful. He was shy at first, but all he needed was the love of a good friend. The kitten, as well as the rest of his new family, have given him that.
Now, Mittens gets to perch on cat trees and lay on nice warm furniture, instead of spending his days out in the cold. He also gets to have catnip, plenty of human affection, and multiple kitty friends.
As for his family, they’re so glad to have taken him in. They’re thankful that he took a chance on him when he asked for their help on that first cold, winter evening.
