Happy Tail: Carrot
In a righteous world, all successful street cat adoption stories would be as smooth as that of Carrot.
Born outside in the Jane and Wilson area in late summer 2024, Carrot, two of his siblings, and their homeless mama were scooped by ace trapper Rosary. “I think there were four kittens at first and a neighbour pre-emptively took one at a very young age,” she recalls.
As luck would have it, Rosary knew that longtime foster Sarah was at that moment available to take on the three approximately eight-week-old kittens, who — in the spirit of their autumnal arrival and the season’s tradition of root vegetables — Sarah named Turnip, Potato, and Carrot.
That placement was kismet. Though Sarah reckons she has fostered some “20 or 30 cats” in about a decade, Carrot was only her second foster fail. “Carrot really bonded with my cat Otis, and he also bonded with me,” she says.
“He was the runt of the litter. The kittens were just skin and bones, the tiniest things, when I got them, but Carrot was especially chatty,” Sarah continues. “Anytime I would put him down, he would start screaming. If I didn’t pick him up and cuddle him, he would scream. The other two kittens were very outgoing whereas Carrot was constantly following me around.”
That was October 2024. By that December, Carrot had officially joined Sarah, Otis, and her first foster fail, Groot. He also grew exponentially from “the tiniest thing” to a 20-pounder whose veterinarian suspects he might be part Maine Coon.
“He is a big boy. He’s rambunctious, naughty, super-curious and loves to cuddle. He will have little conversations with me,” says Sarah, who Rosary credits with coining the adorable (and must-steal) phrase “hisses get kisses!”
Sarah continues: “I’ve never seen Otis bond with one of my fosters like this before. That was an indication that Carrot was special. He is very persistent and when Otis is around, Carrot is just like, ‘Love me!’ He will just throw himself down beside her. But Otis loves it. It’s so cute to see them snuggle.”
The “older lady” Groot… not so much. “She just kind of does her own thing, sits on high perches and observes her territory.” Still, Sarah’s is a peaceable household, not counting the damage Carrot has wrought on the Roomba, which he loves to ride. “I’m actually on my second now,” Sarah laughs. “The first one broke down because it couldn’t handle his weight.
“This was the happiest of endings,” Sarah confirms, adding that Turnip and Potato were eventually adopted together by a wonderful family. “Honestly, I’m obsessed with Carrot. I just love him so much.”
-Kim Hughes
