Yoshi

Yoshi is now three and a half years old. He came to me along with his three siblings when they were just three days old. They had been left in a cardboard box outside a restaurant. It was clear they had a mother, but someone had cruelly dumped them there, leaving a woman at the restaurant to care for them. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to, so she took them to a shelter.

She posted about it on social media, and when I saw her post, I reached out immediately. I explained that kittens that young need round-the-clock bottle feeding, and most shelters aren’t equipped to provide that level of care — especially overnight. I offered to take them in myself if she could bring them to me, and thankfully, she agreed.

From the moment they arrived, they took to the bottle straight away. They were absolutely beautiful — some long-haired, some short-haired, with soft grey and calico markings. As they grew, we were able to find loving homes for three of them by the time they reached eight weeks old. But Yoshi stayed.

Yoshi’s story is especially meaningful to us. Before him, we had a beloved cat named Penny, who had hydrocephalus. We spent months caring for her and helping her recover, and for a time she was doing well. Sadly, we lost Penny at just one year old due to complications, including a chest infection.

Not long after her passing, Yoshi and his siblings came into our lives. We couldn’t believe how much Yoshi looked like Penny — he had the same coloring, the same markings, and even the same gentle temperament. It felt like more than coincidence. In many ways, it was as if a piece of Penny had come back to us in Yoshi. Because of that, we knew we couldn’t let him go.

Over the past three years, Yoshi has grown into the most wonderful, loving cat. He has a natural instinct to care for others — whenever new kittens come into our home, he takes them under his wing. He cleans them, protects them, and keeps them company. He never starts fights and gets along with everyone.

Yoshi is incredibly social. Anyone who visits our home quickly meets him — he’s always the first to jump onto a lap. He loves being held, stroked, and surrounded by people. He truly is a gentle soul and a very special boy, which is why he became a permanent part of our family.

He also shares a special bond with Raven. Raven doesn’t usually play with other cats, but with Yoshi, she does. The two of them are inseparable — a truly bonded pair.