Twitter Thread: A Cat's Journey From A Hungry, Scared And Desperate Feral To Snuggly Duvet Monster

As people whose cats are super affectionate and clingy, we sometimes forget that that's not the case with every cat. And it's certainly not the case with every cat from the beginning - and definitely not with feral cats. Still, we love it when people give feral cats a chance, and we would love for more of them to do so. It's just that there's a stigma - a justified one - that feral cats don't trust humans as easily. Some feral cats can decide to not be feral anymore and turn into the biggest cuddle bugs, but for the most part, you have to carefully and slowly get a feral cat to learn to trust its human. 

It can sometimes take a while for an anxious feral cat to fall in love with someone and to trust them, but as @garius on twitter has learned, it is certainly worth the effort. Their story is so wholesome and heartwarming, full of twists and turns, and we are so happy that they shared it with the world. And we can only hope that their story will inspire others to do the same. 

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky Mariel Ruvinsky
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  • 01
    Cat - ... John Bull @garius Well the paperwork is complete. This stupid floof is now officially our cat. So it's finally time to give him his own thread. Twitter: OFFICIALLY meet Napoleon. Let's look at his nine month journey from a hungry, desperate feral to snuggly duvet monster. /1 ALT $9 ALT 2:52 PM - May 27, 2022. Twitter Web App
    via @garius

    The amount of affection we call feel in this 'insult' - "this stupid floof" - is actually heartbreakingly adorable. Yup, cats can be a mess sometimes, and feral cat even more so, but goodness gracious, we are so happy that this adoption worked out in the end. Napoleon looks so heckin' happy. 

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  • 02
    Cat - ... John Bull @garius This is #notMyCat. He lives next door and has always regularly popped in (with his owner's permission) when his they are out and/or their house is on fire. (Literally. I opened the door to him one day and as he strolled past, Heard alarms/saw smoke and rang the fire brigade)
    via @garius
  • 03
    Product - ... John Bull @garius In late July last year we noticed he was a bit annoyed. It soon became clear why. Another, much smaller cat was following him around, in obvious love and awe. We christened her #alsoNot MyCat This was amusing. What WASN'T amusing was when we realised how ragged/hungry she looked ALT ALT 2:52 PM - May 27, 2022. Twitter Web App
    via @garius

    It's truly a good thing that you guys found this little creture. We can't imagine that, in the condition that she was in, she would have made it that much longer on her own. So, really, we want to thank you yet again - both for what you did and for sharing it, and we would love love love to see more updates about Napoleon in the future. 

  • 04
    Cat - ... John Bull @garius Now we are not cat thieves. But there are 2m stray and feral cats in the UK, most unneutered and most in London. Walthamstow is a hotspot for this. Her behaviour and desperate state worried us. We spoke to @Cats Protection. They talked us through obvious signs/checks we could do. 312013
    via @garius
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  • 05
    Vertebrate - ... John Bull @garius The problem: she was UTTERLY TERRIFIED of people. This suggested she was a full feral. But meant she ran at any approach. But eventually, as she got even thinner and saw us being nice to #notMyCat, she clearly decided she needed to be brave. She came closer. She asked for food. ALT ALT 2:52 PM - May 27, 2022. Twitter Web App .
    via @garius
  • 06
    Product - *** John Bull @garius I really, really can't overstate how terrified #alsoNotMyCat was of people. Again, we're not in the habit of feeding random cats (and you shouldn't be either) but she was so thin, and hungry that we put a plate down for her. ALT 2:52 PM May 27, 2022. Twitter Web App
    via @garius
  • 07
    Cat - *** John Bull @garius Over the next few months, we managed to persuade her to cross the threshold into the house (just about) to get food. This also meant we could chip scan her (your local Cats Protection will lend you these) get posters up and confirm she wasn't owned. ALT 2:52 PM - May 27, 2022 Twitter Web App
    via @garius
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    via @garius
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    Comfort - John Bull @garius As winter approached, we became increasingly worried about her. Ferals have a life expectancy of barely 2 yrs. it's tough out there. This is why it's so critical to get cats neutered. Eventually, she would sit in a cardbox by the door. ALT 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022. Twitter Web App
    via @garius
  • 10
    Building - John Bull @garius Cats Protection said they'd help us trap her, but she was still too wary/timid for us to manage it. But the weather was turning fast. So we gambled on buying her a little kennel in the garden with straw in it for warmth. When she started using it, we were so happy and relieved.
    via @garius
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  • 11
    Font - ... John Bull @garius Every night she would sleep in the kennel, then early in the morning (and in the evening) she would approach for food. We talked with Cats Protection about trapping options, and beyond that getting her homed somewhere. But then in January she started limping. We had to act. 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022 Twitter Web App
    via @garius
  • 12
    Font - *** John Bull @garius With effort, we managed to get her to start eating food from within a trap when she came in. Eventually, we managed to trigger it This was heartbreaking. She looked so betrayed. But it meant Cats Protection could get her to a vet. We agreed to foster her in our spare room after 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022. Twitter Web App
    via @garius
  • 13
    Mesh - *** John Bull @garius I say "with effort" because #notMyCat was not one to pass up free food. We caught HIM about five times before we managed to catch her. Each time he looked at us after with a look of: I REGRET NOTHING. ALT 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022- Twitter Web App
    via @garius
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  • 14
    Product - ... John Bull @garius A big revelation from the vet trip was that 'she' was actually a 'he'! Just a very tiny, malnourished one. Probably only a year old I won't lie: fostering #alsoNotMyCat after the vet trip was REALLY hard. There was pooping. There was hiding under the bed. There was a LOT of mess ALT 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022- Twitter Web App
    via @garius
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    via @garius
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    Cabinetry - ... John Bull @garius He would sit on the record player across the room, watching us. And then, one day, as I was reading to him, something wonderful happened. He just slept. Not "wake up every hour" sleep. Proper, total, sparko for hours. I think it was the first proper sleep he'd ever had. ALT
    via @garius
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  • 17
    Product - John Bull @garius ... And from that moment on, it was like a switch had flipped in him. It was still a slow journey, but every day he became braver and braver. Eventually he discovered strokes. And scritches. And naps. He decided he liked strokes and scritches and naps. TEXVIETS ALT 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022 Twitter Web App MENG ALT
    via @garius
  • 18
    Product - *** John Bull @garius Cats Protection had asked us to keep him in for two weeks after neutering, before releasing him as he had no permanent home available. After a week or so, he finally mastered the litter tray. So we decided to let him roam the house at least. And that's when he discovered duvets ALT 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022- Twitter Web App
    via @garius
  • 19
    Textile - ... John Bull @garius Twitter, you cannot understand the joy/heartbreak of watching a cat who has spent his whole life without duvets discover duvets. He loves duvets. He is a duvet dragon. Duvets are his GOD. ALT ALT 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022 Twitter Web App
    via @garius
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  • 20
    Hand - *** John Bull @garius And then, one day, he cautiously approached while we were UNDER the duvet and started doing this. ALT 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022. Twitter Web App
    via @garius
  • 21
    Comfort - *** John Bull @garius And so we decided that while we had no plans to have a cat, it probably wasn't fair to let him out during the winter. So he could stay for a bit. He still really wanted to go outside, but just for now he could stay. Meanwhile he kept doing this. ALT 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022- Twitter Web App
    via @garius
  • 22
    Photograph - John Bull @garius And this. ALT in
    via @garius
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  • 23
    Product - John Bull @garius And this. Stupid bloody floof. ALT 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022 - Twitter Web App ... TO
    via @garius
  • 24
    Nature - www John Bull @garius But he still wanted to go out. Really badly. So eventually, we knew we had to let him go. At least he was neutered now, had his vaccines and was chipped to Cats Protection As spring arrived, we opened the patio door. He took a quick look back, and then darted away over the fence ALT 2:53 PM - May 27, 2022. Twitter Web App
    via @garius
  • 25
    Cat - www John Bull @garius We left the patio door open. Because by that point both @BecksBiochemist and I had admitted we'd quite like it if he came back. Even just to visit or for regular meals. But we'd decided it had to be up to him. And then, about 2hrs later, a little kitty jumped on the bed and... ALT 2:57 PM - May 27, 2022. Twitter Web App
    via @garius
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    Leg - John Bull @garius And so we spoke to Cats Protection again. And did the adoption process/paperwork. And he finally got a name. And that is why we can now say that Napoleon is officially part of our household. ALT 2:59 PM - May 27, 2022- Twitter Web App
    via @garius
  • 27
    Vertebrate - … John Bull @garius No real purpose to this, other than that you lot kept asking for a full Napoleon thread. So this is it. I hope you liked it. But one thing I will say: Napoleon is not alone. There are so many cats out there like him. And if you have a cat you HAVEN'T neutered, then get it done. ALT 3:01 PM - May 27, 2022- Twitter Web App
    via @garius
  • 28
    Cat - *** John Bull @garius If you live in an area, like Walthamstow, with a big feral problem then there are ways to help these cats, but it needs to be done properly. Waltham Forest Cats Protection were brilliant with us, and helped us to do it right. You can see how much that's changed Napoleon's life. ALT 3:04 PM - May 27, 2022. Twitter Web App
    via @garius
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    Product - *** John Bull @garius Even just alerting them to a feral (or possibly feral's) existence is a start. Because it allows them to try and "trap neuter and release." That was the plan with Napoleon and why we agreed to foster him after. And they are always looking for foster homes for this. ALT 3:07 PM - May 27, 2022- Twitter Web App
    via @garius
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    Cat - John Bull @garius But if I can add my own word of caution: Be careful agreeing to foster. Or, like us, you might suddenly find yourself with a permanent stupid floofy Emperor of your own. /END ALT ALT 3:10 PM - May 27, 2022 Twitter Web App :
    via @garius

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aww wholesome cat twitter adorable adoption heartwarming Twitter Thread cute adopted tweets happy ending feral Cats rescued rescue
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