After a year of being cared for, Chloe and Patchy were soon going to be abandoned. The two were adopted as kittens, and were used to timely meals and a comfortable home environment. Chloe loved to explore the great outdoors of the city, coming home only for her meals and a cosy bed at night. Patchy, on the other hand, was more than content to be a lap cat. But then a very hasty adoption appeal was put out to get them new homes before their previous owners left the city.
Unfortunately, everyone only wants a puppy or kitten. Very rarely are people interested in adopting an animal that’s older than a year. Sanjay and Snehal Mande, a couple in their 40s, are two of those few people. The family came to know of Chloe and Patchy through a WhatsApp forward and they knew they needed to bring them home. “Everybody wants kittens, because they’re cute, but no one really wants older cats,” says Sanjay. “When we saw this adoption appeal, and realised nobody would look after [them], we said ‘why not’, and took them in.”
Bebe
A family of four, the Mandes have always loved cats. Their young 15-year-old daughter, Gauri, often helps animals on the streets and feeds strays. They lost their own pet cat Minto four years back when he wandered too far and got mauled by a pack of stray dogs. After years of watching Gauri help strays in need, the Mandes decided it was time to give her what she needed: pets of her own.
Although, it took a while for two to adjust to their new home, Chloe and Patchy now renamed Joker and Bebe — courtesy Gauri — are very happy to be loved and wanted. “The cats are a big part of our family now. I have two kids, and now I have two more,” says Snehal. Today, Bebe loves sleeping on pillows and is very picky about her food. “But she’s mostly laid-back,” Gauri laughs adding that Joker on the other hand is very curious and loves to scratch all the furniture in the house. “Joker is very bubbly and always hungry.” While the two cats were initially very aloof around each other in their previous home, the love and security of a new family has made them both Mandes through and through.
