In Los Angeles, California, an orange kitten was abandoned when he was barely a baby and ended up without ears or teeth.
He stayed alive by searching for food among the garbage and developed a sad, wary expression, as if he no longer expected anything from anyone. A neighbor began leaving food for him until she realized that the kitten needed more than scraps: he needed urgent help.
Without teeth, survival was a matter of life or death. Felines use them to hold and tear apart their prey and process food, tools this cat simply did not have.
The neighbor called the animal shelter “Hope For Paws”, but there was a problem. No one knew how a cat that could not show his ears to warn of fear or aggression would react. To everyone’s surprise, he allowed himself to be picked up without putting up a fight.
At the clinic, the difficult news arrived: Ares tested positive for feline immunodeficiency, a disease with no cure comparable to human HIV. He had a microchip, but it belonged to a community program, not an actual owner. He was alone, once again. The shelter feared that no one would want to adopt a cat with so many health issues.
But one of the rescuers couldn’t take her eyes off him. She took him home without thinking twice. Today Ares rests on a sofa, eats whenever he wants, and no longer has to hide from anyone.
