Although our cats have no worries, the life of ferals and strays is anything but stress-free. For these cats without a home, they scrape by with little help from humans—or no help at all. But, there are times when we form bonds with these cats and know that we must do something to change their lives for the better. For one handsome white kitty cat named Romeo, you’d never know that he was once a terrified feral cat living life out on the streets. His photos tell a different story, one that is full of happiness and not that of a cat that’s lonely with no one to love them. I caught up with his cat mom and rescuer, and she shared with me his heartwarming story that proves the fact that feral cats can be domesticated with patience, understanding, and lots of love.
How did Romeo come into your life?
Those are back when I thought he would find an adopter. Everyone had joked all along he was mine. I was like no, absolutely not. But then I turned down the few that applied.
How did Romeo get his name?
He was trapped on January 30th and had such a sweet-looking face and he never once hissed at us. Due to his demeanor and Valentine’s Day coming up we called him Romeo.
Can you tell me about his nicknames?
We refer to him as the “Trash Polar Bear” or “Garbage Bear.” Romeo was feral and he is a bit rough around the edges. He’ll eat pretty much anything, fight anyone, and is an excellent exterminator of bugs. My daughter would say he looked like a big polar bear. Then she nicknamed him Garbage Polar Bear when we watched him destroy his entire room in less than five minutes trying to kill a fly once. He has no spatial awareness, he’ll knock over everything in his path like Godzilla.
What is his personality like?
Romeo has SO much personality. I’ve watched it transform from a terrified feral cat into a confident, ornery boy who will smack me with no remorse if I stop petting him too soon. It’s hard to explain but Romeo is a funny cat, his personality is just silly sometimes. He is very loving and has an awesome purr, and I adore his meows and chatter.
What are his favorite hobbies?
Torturing his frenemies and spending time with his mom. He spends a good bit of time playing underneath doors and taunting his housemates. Besides that, he loves to spend time with me, playing with his electronic butterfly, as well as his string-stick toy. There is a variety of beds and soft furniture available to him but those are not his preference. He loves to lay around stretched out on hard surfaces such as dressers, tables, or countertops.
How does he get along with his cat housemates?
He doesn’t unfortunately. We play musical rooms and keep him separated from the other cats because he’s a fighter. I absolutely believe he wants companionship with other cats, and occasionally we facilitate that with Romeo on a harness and leash. But, his desire to prove his dominance has made it difficult. Romeo was up for adoption for quite some time, but he’s a bit of a challenge to place due to his cat aggression and occasionally smacking his human. I have fallen in love with him and come to realize the “perfect” home for him may very well be here, where he is familiar, and we have endless patience for his nonsense. He is not an outcast or unwanted here despite his shenanigans. It’s part of his “Garbage Bear” ways and we love him. He’s a great cat.
What’s something special you’d like for people to know about Romeo?
He has SO much personality! On top of being a handsome little garbage bear, Romeo is a really fun cat to have around. I would love for people to see that despite some challenges former feral cats can present, they can be so loving and great companions! Romeo is my family’s third former feral and they all are very affectionate and loving. Feral cats are NOT mean, they are terrified. A lot of work goes into the process of taming them, but the rewards are worth it tenfold. While Romeo has issues getting along with other cats, he is pretty outgoing with humans, even strangers if they approach him calmly. I will NOT give up on integrating him with his housemates. I truly believe Romeo wants the companionship of the other cats and I will keep working on the methods until we find his groove. He deserves the FULL family experience and he’ll get it, no matter how long it takes. I hope when people see a stray or feral cat sleeping on a car, porch, under a shed, etcetera, they’ll think of Romeo and how much love he has to give, then consider taking in their very own Garbage Bear.
I want to give a special “thank you” to Autumn for allowing me to share Romeo’s story and images with all of the Cattitude Daily readers. It makes my heart smile to know that there are cat lovers out there like her that are willing to give feral cats a chance to be loved, pampered, and appreciated. Because, after all, every cat deserves a chance to be a spoiled housecat.
