A cat leaned into those who saved him from the street and started doing the “car wash” for petting.
GusJulie Krawczyk
Ruthie Weatherly, a volunteer for Urban Cat Coalition, was working on a TNR effort when she stumbled upon an orange cat with crinkled ears.
He was timid and rough around the edges, but his sparkling eyes on his enormous face yearned for connection. Ruthie contacted her fellow volunteer, Julie Krawczyk, and asked if she had room for an orange cat named Gus, who needed some TLC.
Julie welcomed Gus into her home and noticed the hallmark signs of his past struggles.
Julie Krawczyk
Gus was treated for a wound on his face. He had breathing issues, stomach troubles, and filthy ears. His back was covered with scabs, and his chest was full of snot. Julie lovingly bestowed on him the moniker “disaster cake.”
Upon arrival, Gus was nervous and unsure and took refuge in a cubby bed, huddled in the back, in the dark. “He was afraid to come out of his hiding spot,” Julie shared with Love Meow.
Julie Krawczyk
Julie let him sniff her hand and gave him time to warm up to her. “When he leaned into my hand for head scratches and then offered up his belly for belly rubs, (I knew he would be okay). Belly rubs is the final frontier.”
The second Gus is petted, his eyes light up, and his cheeks relax. He rubs his face against Julie’s hand over and over, doing what is dubbed “the car wash.”
Gus doing “the car wash”Julie Krawczyk
“These callouses on his paws, that’s years of hard living right there. One of my favorite parts of alley cat rehab is the day those callouses start falling off.
“That’s when his body knows the soft life has really begun. This man is retired.”
Gus’s pawJulie Krawczyk
Gus was a champ at the vet’s office, getting x-rays and various tests. While he patiently waited for his test results back home, he drooled on the floor, snoring away peacefully.
He may be reserved, but once the petting starts, his drooling, head bumping, and purring go off like clockwork.
Julie Krawczyk
The orange boy has a quirk that reminds Julie of the movie “50 First Dates.”
“He forgets that he likes me every day. I come home, and he dives into his cubby to hide. Then I give him some head scratches, and he remembers and comes out stretching, purring, drooling, and happy.”
Once Gus remembers his foster mom, he emerges from his cave, stretching and purringJulie Krawczyk
With a bit of reassurance, Gus emerges from his cave, eager for the full car wash treatment.
“He loves to eat, and he loves wet food. He’s not super active and doesn’t zoom around. He likes to sleep on the radiator and stand on the window sill looking out at the yard. He loves to walk back and forth doing the ‘car wash’ for petting.”
Julie Krawczyk
Gus is getting excellent care through the support of Urban Cat Coalition and boundless love from his foster family.
“His ailments don’t seem to bother him at all. He’s just a tubby, happy little chunky guy.”
Julie Krawczyk
After his time on the streets, Gus is so pleased to have a roof over his head, an abundance of food, and kind people to remind him that he’s loved.
