When Mateo, who goes by mape14 on Reddit, found a kitten on a bus, he didn’t think he would keep it. That kitten ended up changing Mateo’s life and becoming the best friend he didn’t know he needed.
Mateo, who lives in the South of Spain, was passing by an auto shop on his way home when he heard the sound of a kitten crying.
He followed that sound to the inside of a bus that was parked nearby. But the cat wasn’t sitting on the bus comfortably in a seat.
In a bus
This cat was inside of the bus. Mateo followed the meowing and found the kitten stuck inside of the engine compartment.
The poor kitten sounded terribly frightened. So, Mateo knew he had to act fast. He ran to get some food, thinking he could lure the kitten out.
But that didn’t work. There were so many noises around him that the kitten was too afraid to come out.
He decided to leave the food out by the bus in case the kitten was hungry. He planned to return when it was quieter.
When he returned, he saw the food was half eaten and that there were some adult cats that were bullying the poor little kitten.
“I put my gloves on and spent about three hours waiting for him to come out for more food I bought,” Mateo said, according to Love Meow.
Eventually, Mateo’s patience paid off, and he was able to get the kitten out of the bus engine. Mateo immediately noticed that the kitten was covered in wounds and that his eyes were infected.
“He was shaking and scare-meowing all the way to my house. When we got home, I put him down in my bathroom with a towel, and gave him food, water, and time to get used to the new environment,” Mateo said.
After the kitten settled in, he warmed up to Mateo a bit and let him pet him. Mateo had no idea how to care for this kitten, so he asked his friends on Reddit for advice.
“A lot of people gave me amazing advice. I took him to the vet, and they gave him a full checkup and told me everything he was going through and how I could help him,” Mateo said.
After the vet, the kitten was brought back to his little nest area in Mateo’s home to get comfortable again.
“I sat next to him, letting him make the first move in order to gain some trust. When he fell asleep next to me, it was the moment he realized he was safe,” Mateo said. “He was shy at first but craved cuddles and care. I gave him as much attention as I could, and provided him with all that I could think of.”
Home sweet Cal
The kitten started to grow and overcome his illness. Mateo originally thought he would just care for the kitty until he was well enough to find a forever home.
He named the ginger tabby Cal after his favorite Star Wars character and slowly started to fall in love. Mateo got used to having a happy face waiting for him when he came home.
“Cal has changed my life. The feeling of hearing his meow the moment I step inside my house fills me with joy that I’ve never experienced before. He’s definitely staying with me forever,” Mateo said.
Mateo act of kindness in saving Cal ending up helping not just one, but two lives that day.