Ushkin

Rehomed

Ushkin’s story is another difficult story of rescue.

He was one of a litter of kittens born in the courtyard of a couple who cared for the local cats and helped have cats in their neighborhood spayed and neutered. When it was time for them to leave Armenia, they were able to take four cats with them—the maximum allowed aboard the plane. They continued ordering food for all the cats left behind and having it delivered to their former landlady, who diligently watched over and fed them.

Then one day, one of those cats arrived at feeding time with a severe limp. His former carers contacted us and asked for help catching him and taking him to a clinic. When we arrived, the situation was much worse than expected: the cat would not let anyone near him. The once-friendly boy had turned into a terrified feral cat. We had to go back for a humane trap.

After several days of trying—and accidentally catching two other cats before the right one—the hunt was finally successful. Ushkin was caught and taken to the clinic. His paw was one large infected wound, and his psychological state was terrible. He would not allow any treatment without sedation, attacked anyone who approached, and panicked constantly in the hospital enclosure.

A drain was placed in his injured paw, and the wound slowly began to heal. Ushkin was neutered, and we moved him to a temporary foster home. But he was under such intense stress that he soon scratched a deep wound into his own chest. He had to return to the clinic so that this new self-inflicted injury could be stitched.

Little by little, Ushkin began to thaw in foster care and cautiously allowed people to approach him. He was still frightened by every sound and every human movement, forming a bond only with another cat. We do not know what happened to him before he was caught, but his behavior strongly resembled the effects of severe psychological trauma.

Thanks to Ushkin’s carers abroad—the same people who had originally asked us for help—a home was found for this very special and challenging cat. He was adopted by people with extensive experience rehabilitating animals rescued from war zones. And so the preparations began for Ushkin’s long journey home.

It became the most complicated relocation operation we had ever organized for a cat. On the way, Ushkin took two different flights and two different trains, passing between couriers and countries before finally reaching his new home. After organizing it all, we joked that it might be time for us to open a logistics company. People from more than five countries took part in the operation at the same time!

But it was all worth it. Ushkin needed many long months, but his new family restored his trust in the world and gave him back a sense of safety. Today, he is a wonderfully gentle and thoroughly domesticated cat.

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