One cold, rainy day, a woman named Mariel was relaxing at home when she heard a strange sound coming from outside.
Curious, she went to check it out and was met with a heartbreaking sight right at her front door.
There, sitting on her doorstep, was a sad orange cat named Raspy, crying out desperately for someone to notice him.
Raspy was in awful condition, his eyes full of sadness and pain. He meowed incessantly at Mariel, seeking comfort in her presence.
To Mariel, Raspy was a familiar face – a cat she often saw wandering around her neighborhood.
Assuming he belonged to one of her neighbors, she contacted the people who informed her about Raspy’s tragic past.
To Mariel’s surprise, Raspy didn’t belong to her neighbors, but to people who had once lived in their house.
When they decided to move away, they realized taking Raspy along would be too much trouble.
So, they chose to simply abandon him, leaving their once-loved pet behind as if it were the most natural thing to do.
Poor Raspy couldn’t understand what had happened to his beloved family. He kept searching everywhere for them, waiting patiently for the moment they would pull into the driveway again.
But all he saw were strangers coming in and out of the house he used to call home.
Overnight, Raspy became the neighborhood stray, surviving on scraps of food and the compassion of people who felt sorry for him.
When Mariel saw Raspy at her front door, she could tell he was tired from his days of wandering. So, she decided to help him.
She quickly created an improvised cardboard shelter, lined it with a soft blanket to keep him warm, and fed him a hearty meal.
Raspy was grateful for the help, though he still kept his distance and remained wary. He even bit and scratched Mariel a couple of times, afraid she might hurt him.
But that didn’t discourage her from wanting to help.
Equipped with protective gloves and a lot of patience and love, Mariel continued to break down his walls, hoping that one day she would earn his trust.
Over time, her efforts began to pay off, and Raspy slowly started warming up to her.
Eventually, he agreed to come inside her home, though he immediately wanted to go back outside.
Having his trust broken in the past, Mariel knew it would take time before he could fully embrace life indoors again.
Fortunately, she had all the time and patience in the world.
Since Raspy had become somewhat of a pet to Mariel, she knew it was time to take him to a place many cats dread: The vet’s office.
She took him in for a thorough check-up and made sure he got all of his vaccinations.
Although Raspy wasn’t a fan of the visit, he surprised her by being very well-behaved.
As a reward, Mariel got him his very own outdoor cat house, complete with a porch. Safe to say, he loved it!
A couple of weeks after settling in with Mariel, Raspy brought a special little furry guest – a tiny kitten, who Mariel assumed was his daughter.
Seeing that Raspy could use some company, Mariel decided to keep the kitten. It turned out to be one of the best decisions she ever made.
Raspy was overjoyed to have her around, teaching her all the ways of being a proper cat – just like the great dad he was!
It took Raspy a few months before he truly felt comfortable staying inside Mariel’s house. Reflecting on that experience in an interview, Mariel said:
“It took maybe like three or four months before he even like, let me bring him inside and close the door. I had to leave my front door open because he needed to like be sure that he had an escape route if he wanted to leave.”
“Now he’s been neutered, and we’re at a point where he’s mostly indoors, most of the day.”
From being an elusive cat, Raspy turned into a total cuddle bug, spending most of his days curled up next to his new favorite human on the couch. What a full-circle moment, right?
Mariel is beyond thrilled with how far Raspy has come.
Even though the journey was challenging and full of setbacks, he eventually let his guard down and allowed her to love him – just as he was loved before.
He learned to trust her despite the pain he had endured in the past, which really shows just how amazing cats can be!
Sure, Raspy still enjoys going outside, roaming the neighborhood, and hanging out in his outdoor cat house, but he never runs away.
He knows where his home is, and he knows who his family is – the people who love him unconditionally and would never, ever abandon him.
To keep up with Raspy and his family, make sure to follow him on both Instagram and TikTok.