Kyle the cat, with his “got milk?” mustache, yellow gaze, and charmingly haphazard whiskers wasn’t always this carefree. In fact, the formerly neglected cat was traumatized after living in a household that was so abusive, he ended up witnessing a murder.
Poor Kyle was taken into police custody as “evidence,” where living with a group of 30 cats did nothing to put him at ease. After some time, he was put up for adoption.
Meanwhile, a couple was looking for a kitty companion for their cat, Princess Mer. They were browsing PetFinder when they stumbled upon Kyle’s picture and were immediately smitten. They took the 3-hour drive to the rescue where the crazy-whiskered cat was located, hoping he’d be their new furry family member.
When a volunteer brought them to Kyle’s kennel, they were in for a surprise.
“It was a mix of shock at first sight and love at first sight – shock because he was a hot mess (wheezing, dandruff, disheveled whiskers) and love because you just wanted to take care of this poor mess of a creature,” cat-mom Jen told Love Meow.
According to Kyle’s Instagram, the tuxedo has, “3 teeth, no claws, severe dandruff, hip dysplasia and a crooked ear.” But now, he’s got a loving family and over 73,000 Instagram fans!
It took some time for the confused, skittish kitty to get used to life in a caring home. But Jen told Love Meow that, despite his hesitation, they continued getting glimpses of Kyle’s true personality.
“You could tell he was a lover, though, because despite the trauma he had been through, he still ran up to us for some lovin’… in small millisecond intervals,” Jen said in the story.
It’s been 6 years since Kyle found his forever home, making him around 8-11 years old. He’s sweet and cuddly and the happiest he’s ever been. In fact, despite his generally passive and laid-back nature, “he will NOT tolerate wrongful occupation of his laps,” as explained in this video’s caption. (The gray kitty is Princess Mer.)
And as for those crazy-adorable whiskers? “Kyle’s whiskers are a combination of genetics and extreme napping,” the couple said in the Love Meow story.
Kyle’s story inspired his parents to support initiatives that help prevent domestic violence and advocate for animal-friendly domestic violence shelters. They have set up a GoFundMe page, using Kyle as the spokescat, in order to help others that are in dangerous situations.
“October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). To-date Kyle has raised approximately $6,500 for non-profit organizations that support animal-friendly DV shelters. Kyle would like to bump that total to $10,000!!!” it reads.
Way to pay it forward! We are so glad that this beautiful cat is safe, happy, and loved!
You can follow Kyle on Instagram @mycatkyle and on his Facebook page.
(h/t: Love Meow)