Twenty years ago, in 1997, a cat was abandoned by its family in their New York City apartment building. It’s unclear who the family is or where they went, but the superintendent of the building confirmed the cat had been living in the building’s basement for the past 20 years.
The abandoned, elderly cat had somehow managed to survive two decades without access to sunlight and fresh air. Even though people were clearly aware of its existence, nobody did anything to help— no one except Anita Diamontopoulou, that is!
Anita is a video editor at The Dodo, a popular animal-based media website. She moved into the apartment building during the summer of 2017 and soon learned about the poor, abandoned, basement-dwelling cat.
“I would go and give her food and pet her,” Anita told The Dodo. “She is super friendly and loves head rubs.”
The cat was very skinny, and she was missing most of her teeth. Still, she loved eating, drinking water, and having Anita pet her face— something that is most remarkable in light of how long the kitty had spent on its own.
Despite being abandoned and having lived in solitude for twenty years, the cat, whom Anita nicknamed ‘Granny’ was still very friendly, seeming to enjoy the companionship of humans. That’s when Anita decided she had to get Granny out of that basement.
Although Anita wanted to take Granny in herself, she already owned a cat and didn’t think it would be the best option for the solitary kitty. Instead, after getting Granny her vaccinations and a blood test, she found a friend who was willing to take her in. When Granny got there, it was the first house she had seen in two full decades.
“The first day she stayed in the bathroom where it is dark and cooler,” Diamantopoulou said. “I guess the sun bothers her since she hasn’t been out since forever.”
Anita did her best to make Granny feel comfortable. “I cleaned her with baby wipes. And I fed her and spent time with her,” she recalled. The next day, when Anita came back to visit, Granny was already feeling more at home. “I found her sitting outside the bathroom and she welcomed me.”
Nothing can take away Granny’s years spent in the dark. But Anita has assured us that her future is much, much brighter.
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