On a chilly winter day, in the backyard, a woman hears a series of strange sounds. Curiosity piqued, she investigates and discovers a shivering, orange tabby stray cat pawing at her window, pleading to escape the freezing cold.
Without a second thought, she swings open the door, refusing to leave the poor cat out there in the snow.
Quickly, she snaps a picture of the frail feline and reaches out to Marie Simard, the founder of Un Chat à la Fois (One Cat at a Time), a rescue shelter in Québec, Canada.
Marie urgently advises her to take the cat to a vet.
“It broke my heart to see him, so I told her to take this stray cat to the vet, and not even 30 minutes later, he was at our partner clinic,” Marie recalls. “Once he got to the vet, he was very easy-going. He let the vet do the checkup, the blood test, and X-rays. The cat was not feral at all.”
Upon examination, they find Aslan, as they’ve now named him, covered in bite wounds, infested with fleas and ticks, suffering from frostbite, rotten teeth, and diabetes.
The vet solemnly notes that if Aslan hadn’t asked for help, he wouldn’t have survived the harsh winter.
“We thought he was a lost cat because he was just too friendly to be born outside,” Marie explains. “He didn’t have a microchip and was not neutered. We assumed he was left behind by irresponsible owners.”
After days of tender care at the clinic, Aslan’s health remarkably improves, and he moves to a foster home, a place where he can recover surrounded by love. However, when the time comes for adoption, his foster mom knows better. Aslan has found his home; he’s exactly where he belongs.
“Aslan is a very affectionate cat. He forgot his outdoor life and doesn’t try to go outside. He likes to sleep on her pillow and he likes to cuddle,” says Marie.
In the warmth of his foster home, Aslan revels in the love he receives. He’s transformed from a stray cat into a cherished family member, living the life he truly deserves. He’s not a stray cat anymore; he’s found his forever home.
