For “the 12 Cats of Christmas,” each day we pluck one notable furball who has made a huge and lasting impression on our hearts over the last 12 months and revisit his or her story. Consider it your daily festive feline gift.
Today we feature a kitten who needed a rooftop rescue …
3. JiJi Bear
I first came across JiJi Bear back in late October when I noticed that a tiny black kitten appeared to be stuck on top of a building rooftop that I could see from a window in my apartment. After realizing that the cat had not just wandered up there for the view, I set about a very drawn-out rescue that took nearly two weeks. It was emotional and exhausting, as I had to basically sneak into someone else’s building to feed the kitten and, eventually, build up enough trust to scoop her into a cat carrier. (I suspect an impending frost helped make up her mind to brave the plastic crate.)
After rescuing JiJi Bear from perishing on the rooftop, I attempted a trial adoption period but it just wasn’t working out. (I have a fine cat already called Mimosa and I’m very much a one-cat guy.) Returning her to the Scratching Pad foster endeavor was heartbreaking, but it was the right step to finding her forever home. She’s a super sweetie and someone’s going to become totally smitten with her.
JiJi Bear is now safely spending the run-up to Christmas at the Scratching Pad foster home in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Its previous graduates include the New York City subway kittens, so she’s in good hands.
Revisit the rest of the 12 Cats of Christmas here:
- 12. Lucky
- 11. Grumpy Cat
- 10. The New York City Subway Kittens
- 9. Lazarus
- 8. Gray the Internet Crime-Fighter
- 7. Momo the Flood Survivor
- 6. Henri, Le Chat Noir
- 5. Colonel Meow
- 4. Little Bear
About Phillip Mlynar: The self-appointed world’s foremost expert on rappers’ cats. When not penning posts on rap music, he can be found building DIY cat towers for his adopted domestic shorthair, Mimosa, and collecting Le Creuset cookware (in red). He has also invented cat sushi, but it’s not quite what you think it is.
