Cartel Cat With Gang Tattoos Finds Forever Home After Being Rescued From Mexican Prison

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Jan 23, 2024 9:00 AM EST

Over our time writing for ICanHasCheezburger, we have come across some extremely memorable cat adoption stories. Like the story of the story of the extremely handsome firefighter who rescued a cat from the rubble in Turkey and went super viral for it, or the story of the person who adopted the senior 'sick cat that no one wanted' and gave it a second chance at life. We have seen many stories like these, and each and every one of them warms our hearts and gives us hope for humanity, but we have never seen a cat adoption story anything like the one that we are covering today.

A cat with gang tattoos that has been living in a Mexican prison with cartel members lost his owner after said owner escaped prison and was caught… got readopted, and this is his amazing, unbelievable story. 

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    Posted by u/suffocatingsilence00 4 days ago I rescued the tattooed cartel cat that was living in a Mexican prison
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    ORECHO E
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    This is my baby, Kilo. In March 2023 I saw on the news and social media that a Sphynx cat had been found living inside of a Mexican prison. This is my understanding of his story: His owner was a leader in the Los Mexicles cartel, and was in prison for der among other charges. After a party on New Years he had escaped. When he was finally caught, they
    via u/suffocatingsilence00
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    beat him to death. After which, they raided they prison and found Kilo, 7 dogs, 20 guns, 1000 rounds of ammunition, drugs, alcohol, and to top it all off - a mechanical bull. Kilo was then taken to an animal shelter in Juarez. Because of the tattoos on him they could not give him back to his previous owners family and they began broadcasting him on the news to look for a new home for him. He became a
    via u/suffocatingsilence00

    "I named him! And they couldn't give him back to his (deceased) previous owner's family because the tattoos are very obvious signs of abuse. His previous owner was a notorious leader of a cartel, I assume everyone knew it was his due to that."

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    little celebrity because of his backstory and unusual markings. When I heard about him, I just knew I should at least try to adopt him. I have had sphynx my entire life, 8 up until that point, and absolutely adore the breed. I am young, self-employed, and able to care for him fully so I just felt like it was my job to try to give him a safe home. I flew to El Paso the day after I read about him, and met with some officials in Juarez to plead my case. I explained my
    via u/suffocatingsilence00

    "In order to adopt him I had to provide all kinds of personal information to the Mexican government. So if they wanted to get him they could find me with or without this post or his Instagram :) I knew the risks when adopting him."

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    experience with and love for the breed and even wrote a letter to the President of Chihuahua promising to care for and love him better than anyone else could. And somehow it worked! Before I actually met him, they didn't give me any information on his temperament, health status, or personality. I was nervous to say the least because I already had another Sphynx at home and a small dog. But
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    apparently I just used all my luck with him. because he is the sweetest, snuggliest, and friendliest cat I have EVER met. When I met him he was absolutely filthy and totally emaciated. He had eye mucus buildup from infection, skin sores, and open wounds on his legs and paws.
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    It was devastating seeing an animal that was so innocent in that state, but after a couple vet visits and rounds of medication he is the healthiest happiest boy ever. He bonded with my other cat so well and is warming up every day to my dog. It was a match made in heaven. Apparently I beat out 10,000 other applicants which feels like a sign from above that he was supposed to be a part of my family.
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    Anyways - I just felt like sharing this beautiful story with people who would appreciate it :) (I left out a lot of details to protect myself and him but you can find new articles or Reddit posts about him if you want to learn more!)
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    xxhorrorshowxx. 4 days ago From what I've heard, cartel members actually adore their prison pets and care for them with as much of their limited resources as possible, I saw a documentary years ago about a prison in Venezuela and there were these big buff tattooed guys hanging out with itty bitty kittens, they regard them as family :) It's a shame your little guy was tattooed, and that his original human left him, but I'm sure he has some incredible stories to tell
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    suffocatingsilence00 OP 4 days ago This is a hot take, and please don't mistake what I'm about to say as me disregarding his obvious signs of neglect and abuse, but personally I think his owner really loved and cared for him. He is overly affectionate and trusting with humans. He doesn't mind being groomed or bathed. He is still a carefree animal that shows no signs of being abused or neglected in his personality -
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    and he was like this from day 1. I personally believe he was probably drugged when he was tattooed, which is still a horrendous things to do to ANY animal, but makes me feel better hoping he didn't have to be fully conscious for that.
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    Additionally, while I was there, and speaking to various people who were Mexican government officials, as well as various cartel members, Sphynx cats are often seen by the cartels as a sign of wealth, luck, and good fortune.
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    They are often treated with a lot more respect than other animals. And when asking why he was tattooed in the first place, I was told that was their way of initiating him into their cartel/family. He was probably well respected in the prison.
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    Not at all defending their choices, just giving some insight into what I was told :) 240 Reply Share
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    Crop
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    Cheezburger Image 9869288448
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    XIDS NEWS 1:13 Passenger trapped in airplane bathroom for entire flight gets... NEW YORK POST fyro r Okla, dad who fled car wreck, leaving 16- year-old daughter to... Tattooed cat with gang ink rescued from Mexican prison By Natalie O'Neill Published Feb. 23, 2023 Updated Feb. 23, 2023, 2:32 p.m. ET AA This jailbird cat wants to be fur-ever yours. D 2 adults, teen electrocuted after power line falls on... nypost.com NEW YORK POST DI Ć
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    W
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    Cheezburger Image 9869292544
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    Cheezburger Image 9869292288
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    HECHO EN MÉXICO cared cedact
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    Cheezburger Image 9869292800
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