How a stray cat made us a family: One year with Novo

Before all the festivities, I’d like to share with you the story of how our cat, Novo, came to be with us and everything that came after.

We’ve been chosen by the cat distribution

Arriving home from church on November 3, 2024, I was surprised to see a shabby white cat by our window. We live on the second floor of an apartment building and I can’t imagine how this poor cat sneaked in. Not only was it scruffy and scrawny, it also had a deep laceration on its left foreleg.

Day 0: First encounter.

To pet the stray cat, I took a toothbrush, dampened it, and began brushing the areas where I would usually pet a house cat. Never did I hear a purr, but at least he ended up less dirty. Between hisses, I could tell he didn’t entirely hate it.

As much as I wanted to keep it since I always wanted to have a pet like I used to growing up, I had two concerns at the time:

1. We were not allowed to have a pet in the apartment.
2. My husband was not keen on the idea of (a) sneaking it in, disobeying house rules, and (b) having a pet because he was not fond of having one and never had one growing up due to asthma.

But then I reminded my husband, “You said in our wedding vow that you would teach yourself to like animals as a way of showing how you love me!” And I further explained that the cat had chosen our apartment unit for a reason, and that we were capable of helping him at least recover from his wounds. I told him that we could feed him to health, but let him stay outside the window. “Sure, he’ll find his way back here if he wants to stay with us!“

So, with a huff and a puff—still adamant—he just kept quiet but was in total disapproval. His face always has subtitles. Even so, I was happy to have a furry friend. I was giddy the whole night; I even slept late to keep him company and tried to make his night comfortable by leaving a towel to keep him warm, hoping he would come back the next day.

Day 0: Staying outside for the night.

And surely, the following day, he did. And even the day after that, too. On his second day, I decided to buy him a collar, a bowl, and cat food. When I put the collar on him, he showed no protest, which made me wonder if he was a lost cat. I also let him into the house and gave him a name, Novo, because he reminded me a lot of our house pet, Novo, from my childhood home, who had passed away years earlier.

Novo also sounds fitting for his name, as it is a Latin word meaning “to make new,” “to renew,” or “to refresh.” I’ve always been telling my husband—even before we got married—about how I wanted us to have a cat, even when he protests against the idea, and told him of all the ways we could live with our pet cat: running around playing, and letting the cat sleep in our bedroom. And finally, having Novo, even unofficially, felt like an answered prayer.

I never thought at the time that Novo was the silent prayer I have been screaming in my heart. A renewal. A time of refreshing for our marriage.

I still let Novo outside to sleep, even after almost a week, to appease my husband’s request to obey the house rules. Novo knows that he should also poo and pee outside, too, which made me like him even more.

Since I couldn’t brush off the thought that Novo might be somebody’s lost cat, I looked around and online for traces of people searching for a white cat with blue eyes. However, no neighbors seemed to be looking for one, and no social media posts around the area indicated the same.

While I seemed to feign confidence that we’ll be okay while keeping Novo in the house illegally during the day, I always dreaded the day when we would be found out. And so I kept praying for favor, since I knew I wouldn’t let the cat mess around. One afternoon, when a visitor complimented how cute our cat was, the landlord’s son overheard it by the window while working on some structural maintenance. And after the visitor left, the landlord’s son said, “Uy! May pusa na pala kayo.” (Oh! So you have a cat now.) To which I blushed and responded by showing him the cat. “Noong isang araw hinabol namin ‘yan tapos dito sya tumakbo. ‘Wag mo nalang ilabas para ‘di na magkalat dito at sa parking. Palagi pa kasi naming nililinis. Matagal na yang palaboy-laboy dito sa parking. Buti at nahanap ka niya. Ayan, masaya ka na ha. Mas inspired ka na mag work from home.” (The other day, we chased it out of the building, and then it ran here. Just don’t let it out anymore so it won’t make a mess here and in the parking area. Because we always have to clean up. It’s been wandering around here in the parking lot for a long time. Good thing it found you. There, you’re happy now, huh? You’re more inspired to work from home now.)

So we had a mutual agreement. By keeping Novo inside, the landlord’s son would stay quiet about it. And sure, he did keep his word. That afternoon somehow gave us the approval we’ve been yearning for days, and also prompted me to buy cat sand and a litter box. The exchange I had with the landlord’s son also changed my husband’s demeanor. He started to relax with the idea of finally having a cat at home while maintaining his distance from Novo.

Meanwhile, Novo was starting to feel comfortable living with us as well. While he used to sleep with caution, after we finally adopted him as an indoor cat, he started to sleep carelessly. However, he remained unenthusiastic about hugs and kisses, as well as being carried like a baby, hissing and scratching and biting to let me know that I should back off.

When his wound reopened after it had seemed to be healing, I finally bought a cat carrier that was big enough to sneak Novo in and out of the apartment inconspicuously. After his wound had healed entirely through a series of antibiotics, cream, and vitamins, I was able to send him back to the vet for his vaccines and deworming. Because the whole ordeal also cost a lot, I realized how expensive it is to keep a stray cat; nonetheless, I’m grateful to have somehow given him a chance at life, just as he gave me and my husband somebody to look forward to going home.

Day 26: Novo in the vet for antibiotics; vaccine and deworming scheduled for next appointment.

Perhaps the major struggle I had keeping him in our unit (at first) was his inability to use his litter box. What amazed me on his first day with us as a full-time indoor cat was that he knew the restroom was where one should poo and pee. That’s why I learned where to put the litter box. While I tried teaching him that the litter box is where he should relieve himself, days went by without him using it. Instead, he continued to conduct his business in the shower area. So, I ended up following up on his mess now and then, or else the restroom—and then the entire apartment unit—would really, really smell bad.

On the other hand, Novo was showing a relaxed side of himself. He’s even more open to more pets, but still with some restraint. He’d watch where I sat, then take that exact spot the moment I stood up, forcing me to find somewhere else to sit. Then he’d take that spot too. Luckily, he had not yet learned the goodness of the bed, which he would eventually discover the following year.

I realized he was still learning to accept human affection, as evidenced by the fact that six months in, he was finally able to tolerate hugs and kisses like one would with a baby.

My husband continued to soften towards him after more than a month, but remained adamant about keeping him with us beyond Christmas, as we didn’t know where to keep him when we returned to our province and would be back after a month. I had sleepless nights trying to find a cat boarding we could afford, and at the same time, a place willing to accept him, even though he was not litter-trained. The sleepless nights paid off, and we were grateful to find WhiskerWise Cat Boarding, which was more than willing to accept a cat that was not litter-trained. After we had booked his month-long stay, I was definitely relieved and excited to start 2025 knowing we’d have a cat to go back to.

Here are some photos of Novo when he was in cat boarding:

What’s really amazing is that, after his five-week stay at the cat boarding facility, he finally learned to use his litter box! He came back to us litter-trained. So, we started the year right with Novo, and taking care of him felt easier.

But our relief didn’t last long.

Despite his regular deworming, he still had an infestation of tapeworm, which meant sections of it kept coming out of him and even more in his poo. So, I sent him back to the vet with a more potent dose of deworming medication. The vet explained that it might be because he’s a stray cat, requiring him to undergo bouts of deworming sessions.

After his worm problems were resolved, I wanted to have him neutered. However, the vet said they only prioritize urgent cases due to the limited supply of anesthesia in their clinic. I eventually stopped following up when there seemed to be no changes until we had another issue with Novo: mewling in the wee hours of the day, his mating calls. We endured almost a month of sleepless nights before we reached our limit. While it was challenging to schedule before, I was insistent with the vet because we were undoubtedly going crazy at home, explaining how the lack of sleep was adding tension to our marriage, which they said they totally understood.

Novo never forgot that day and remains mad with the doctors and staff at the vet. I guess, at least, he never had any clue that it was I who got him there to have his balls removed. And since his operation, Novo has been calm compared to his previously aggressive demeanor, and he has never had a mewling session.

His appetite also increased. And throughout this year, he had shed the cautious traits he had as a stray. He now knows that he doesn’t have to cower during meal times, understanding that he’s no longer the underdog (or the undercat, if there’s such a thing).

What we signed up for

Novo now knows how to demand food, play, and bedtime schedules. Yes, he finally discovered how nice it is to sleep on the mattress. As a matter of fact, he now sleeps with us on the bed. He knows his place (the other end of the bed, and he prefers to sleep under my feet); he even has a dedicated pillow. But during the daytime, when my husband and I are working, he certainly does own the bed, feeling confident that he belongs with us and is part of our family.

I’d also like to think that Novo is giving us a glimpse of what it’s like to become parents to a newborn. Because he certainly does wake us up twice beyond 12 AM: to have early morning snacks and a bathroom break before 6 AM. How does he do it? By being a cat, of course! He starts with the subtle cues like light scratches on my bedside. If we won’t budge, he climbs up my husband’s desk and drops things that he knows either my husband and I own, like our eyeglasses or vitamin bottles. He eventually learned that stepping on my husband’s computer keyboard works better at annoying us. And if none works, he goes as far as pulling my hair and biting my ears.

Sure, it would never be at par, but isn’t waking up from sleep always disorienting? He surely does teach us to be patient, and to be more other-centric, as my husband and I learned to take turns in opening the door for our cuddly cat.

Making friends

For Novo’s sanity (and mine), we often visit green spaces. Bringing him sparked small talks with people who get captivated by his looks. Like them, I also get enamored by Novo’s blue eyes. I feel as though I am gazing into a vast space of fulfilled dreams and unequivocal rest.

Change of heart

My husband used to be distant at first. His pet peeve was the casual rubbing cats do around your leg. But one day, I can’t exactly remember when and how it happened, but my husband started to pet him—albeit with reservations. Still, his affection for Novo grew by the day, as he came to understand that they were both alike in many ways, such as how they both get easily overwhelmed by too much attention.

Little by little, I saw how my husband gradually gravitated towards Novo. In between stressful work hours, I would occasionally find him going to the bed to pet Novo.

He eventually fell in love—because who wouldn’t soften to someone who’s always excited to see you when you arrive home?

Now, my husband, who’d never had a pet and had huffed and puffed at the very idea, never misses a day checking in on Novo when he is away. He also sends me photos and videos of Novo when I’m away. He then tells me, “We miss you!” or “Our cat is sleepy.” The possessive pronoun of belonging. That’s when I knew we’d become a family.

It’s been a good year

Novo surely made us family. He gave us a reason always to come home. Novo gave us a sense of belonging. He rooted us to our place when we used to be okay at being transient, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally; we always felt free to leave our place, just because nothing kept us in. But Novo grounded us in one another, too, giving our marriage a renewed sense of purpose beyond the mundane.

Novo gave us the heart to care for somebody beyond ourselves, even when he came with fur and paws.

So, to celebrate his birthday, I served him his favorite—shrimp—after he had his dinner. You’ll never guess how he goes loco for shrimp!