Heart-Warming Stories Of 18 Indians Who Adopted Or Rescued Their Pets

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”

-Anatole France

If you’re even remotely familiar with our content—and our efforts to be somewhat objective in our views—you probably also know that animals make us lose any semblance of balance in our approach. We belong to that not-so-exclusive group of ‘pets > people’. And of late, it seems like we need to band together to protect these creatures a little more. India’s been having a bit of of a split-personality crisis as far as the issue of animal rights goes. On one hand, we recently became the first country to become a cruelty-free cosmetics zone in South Asia, but on the other, the Kerala government is brutally slaughtering thousands of stray dogs in direct opposition to the Supreme Court’s ruling. There’s the numbers game too: according to recent surveys, our country is home to over 250 lakh street dogs and cats. While it is has been proven that the most humane and effective solution to this problem is neutering and vaccinating them, we’ve come to realise that there is another, mutually-beneficial option available to us all—adoption. In fact, according to People for Animals India, if one out of 50 persons were to give a stray dog a home, there would be no strays left in the country.

Despite the seemingly unrealistic statistics, we’re thrilled that animal welfare NGOs like World For All have created a system and space through which stray animals in need of rescue can be adopted. There are many reasons why adopting a pet is a better idea than buying one: you’re giving an animal a second chance at life and some much-needed love and care; by adopting, you’re making room for another pet to be taken in by organisations like WFA and you’re not patronising the (often) terrible breeding industry.

In case you’re undecided, or even just looking for a little happiness in your afternoon scroll, we rounded up 18 incredible individuals and got them to share their own pet adoption stories in the hopes that it might encourage you to do the same. As we spoke to the proud foster and adoption parents about their experiences, there was one point they all agreed on—their abandoned stray is family. Scroll down to find more about these lucky pets and their families.

I. Abhay Gupta + Cinnamon and Pepper, the cats

Abhay Gupta is a media planner at Omnicom Media Group who has worked with several brands such as Nissan, Benadryl, Listerine, and Clean & Clear. He has adopted two cats: Cinnamon, who his then-girlfriend found on the street, and Pepper, an abandoned kitten he found underneath a car.

“Adopting a pet is quite like adding a new member to the family. A live-in relationship is always rocky until you’ve both learned each other’s lifestyle preferences and found a compromise to cohabitation. And when your pet’s lifespan is done, you cry and mourn and remember the impact it had on your life and how much it softened you over the years.”

The adoption story: “When I was ten, I attempted to rescue a pigeon that had broken its wing and was unable to fly over the four foot walls of my terrace. I wrapped it in a blanket and tried to feed it and give it water, but it lost its will to live and died within the hour. I cried myself to sleep that night. A few years later, I found a kitten near a nearby paanwala that I christened Chicken. He was an adorable little scamp that I wanted to take home with me, but my parents convinced me that I would never be able to take care of him and that he was better off being a street cat. The weekend after that, I went to check up on Chicken to see how he was doing and I found out from the paanwala that a car ran over him killed him. I cried that entire weekend. Years later, when I graduated from junior college, my then-girlfriend found a kitten on the street. She had a dog at the time and couldn’t shelter the kitten for very long. She told me that despite her best efforts nobody wanted to adopt the kitten and she’d have to release her kitten back on the street. That day, I adopted Cinnamon, my first cat.

Cinnamon was a white kitten that fashioned herself a bit of a daredevil—she loved climbing onto chajjas. We had to call the fire department once when she climbed up a tree and we couldn’t get her down (credit to the fire department, not only did they come swiftly and promptly, they even came up with an innovative solution of getting her down when the fire engine couldn’t reach through the cramped space behind the building). I went to university and came back for my winter vacations hoping to see her again. It was then that I discovered that her daredevil days had resulted in the inevitable—she had slipped and fallen six floors where she lay dead on the tiles of my building parking lot. I was so shocked and depressed. I couldn’t adjust to the sudden emptiness in my house.

A long time had passed after Cinnamon’s death by the time Pepper came into our lives. I was with my friend Harish when we found an abandoned kitten mewing and crying in fear while attempting to take shelter underneath a car. He was dirty, sick, lonely, and scared. He was a runt: too small, weak, and sickly to fend for himself. I couldn’t turn my back on him. We wrapped him in a blanket and rushed him back from Andheri to Santacruz. During the journey, he defecated on every hand except mine. It was then that I suspected that Pepper had grown attached to me. We nursed him back from the brink of death (the vet said he wouldn’t make it past a month when she first saw him) and he grew up into a healthy, dim-witted, cowardly cat. He lived for six years—he died nine months ago of acute kidney failure. Pepper bhai was a handsome cat. We used to call him a supermodel cat because he was very good looking but utterly inept at everything else— scared of heights, couldn’t hunt to save his life, clumsy beyond all clumsiness. He had no other life skills outside of looking dashingly handsome. We loved him dearly and he loved my dad the most. Dad wanted to cut back on his cholesterol intake so he would give Pepper the yellow of his boiled egg every morning for six years. When dad came back from work, Pepper would go to him and complain about his problems. Then there was the post-dinner chin-scratching and cuddling that he would take only from dad and no one else. Sure, I was the one who rescued him and gave him a home, but he was clearly dad’s cat. We haven’t adopted a new cat since his death. No one in the family has recovered from the loss. He was part of the family and we can’t bear the thought of replacing him.”

Three words that best describe his relationship with his cats: Fraternal. Memorable. Honest.

II. Anita Shyam + Scotch and Dusk, the cats

 Anita Shyam is a Communications Manager at United Way of Mumbai, an NGO, which is the philanthropy partner for the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. She has adopted two stray cats, Scotch and Dusk, who she found through World For All. The plan was to initially only adopt Scotch (earlier christened Boy), but she couldn’t resist adopting the runt of the litter too, who she named Dusk.

“Adopting a pet has changed by life by giving it a completely new purpose (quite literally, in terms of my career!).”

The adoption story: ‘Adopt a stray’ was the very first thing on my to-do-before-25 list. Even though I have always been fond of cats, I never kept any as pets because I am severely allergic to cat dander.
I came across World for All on when I was browsing through Facebook, and among the first few posts, I found a ginger kitten named Boy who was up for adoption. I fell completely and utterly in love with Boy and called on the number mentioned. I was told that Boy and his five siblings were found tied up in a plastic bag that had been thrown in the garbage bin. A passer-by managed to rescue them. Unfortunately, one of the six kittens passed away the same day.

After being asked a number of questions about my living situation, commitment towards making this decision and so on, some volunteers came in for a house check. I was advised to adopt a pair of kittens, but since I was a first timer, I was hesitant. The adoption coordinator suggested that she would send Boy over with his siblings and a few other kittens for me to see first-hand how happy kittens are in pairs. I agreed. Within a couple of days, a lady came over with the kittens.

I had prepared a makeshift bed for Boy, and bought a few toys as I was anxious to get him to like me. Unfortunately, Boy spent the entire evening ignoring me (because, cats!). I knew I had to be patient because there was no question of me choosing another kitten. I chatted with the lady for some time and when we were done, we discovered that all the kittens were merrily gambolling about. One little guy had gone and made himself comfortable in the bed I had made for Boy. This scrawny kitten was Boy’s unnamed brother, who was severely malnourished (he was even having difficulty finding a home, given his appearance). I did not want to wake him or move him, so I let him be. Right there, I made the decision to adopt both, Boy and his brother.

Boy was renamed Scotch and the unnamed kitten is now Dusk. Adopting these brothers, who are as different as can be, has been the best decision of my life. Dusk is a prankster with no sense of personal space. He is an explorer, and mischievous to the extent that he tore my copy of The Lord of the Rings into shreds within the first week. Scotch, on the other hand, is the chilled out, guilty-when-gets-into-trouble, anxious softy, who is constantly bullied by Dusk. It took him two years to climb into my lap, because that is how his personality is. Having my boys around has completely altered not just the physical schedule of my life but my entire outlook towards it.

A year into adopting, I decided to quit my well-paying corporate job to join the development sector full time. I had toyed with the idea in the past (having worked closely with Teach For India), but the huge pay cut and chaotic work structure never seemed worth it. After adopting the boys, seeing first-hand how much the animals need someone to take ownership of their wellbeing (along with the incomparable rush of a happy adoption), the choice seem obvious. I came on board with WFA as their branding and strategy manager for a year. I spend a lot of time dispelling cat myths, facilitating cat adoptions and working on fundraising solutions for cat spaying/neutering. Once my year was up, I moved to United Way of Mumbai. I am still the admin on the WFA page and part of the core adoption team.”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her cats: Fulfilling. Therapeutic. Demanding!

III. Bharath Shetty + Saki and Chloe, the cats

34-year-old Bharath Shetty is a doctor who lives with his cats, Saki and Chloe, that his then-girlfriend and he found on the side of the road.

“Adopting these cats has been a test in patience, but it is an amazing experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

The adoption story: “When I adopted them, I was doing my M.B.B.S. My girlfriend and I were talking in an auto when all of a sudden, she asked the driver to stop. She practically dived out out of the vehicle and ran down the street, leaving the auto driver and me pretty befuddled. I got out and started looking for her. I realised that she was chasing two kittens on the side of the road. She followed them to a playground where I finally caught up to her and immediately told her not to touch them (not because of rabies or any other communicable diseases, but because we were living together at the time and I knew that if she picked them up I would be getting two new roommates). Of course, she picked them up and I am glad she did. As things go, relationships don’t always work out, but I became the owner of 2 cats. My ex and I joke that I won full custody of the kids in the divorce.

They grew up spoiled, which was mostly my fault. They are loving and affectionate, they are comfortable with strangers, and they quickly adapt to new surroundings. They are very perceptive. They know when I am sad or sick, and they are always there to cheer me up. They aren’t perfect, and they can be extremely naughty but they are truly amazing cats with strong, beautiful, and unique personalities.

It’s not very often people take strays back to their home country, but when I had to move back to America, there was no way I was going to leave them behind. The total cost of bringing them home surpassed my own ticket. Was it worth it? Yes. My friends and family love them. Unfortunately, after coming home, one of them has been diagnosed with feline diabetes (who knew that was a thing?), which requires expensive veterinary prescribed food as well as requiring insulin injections twice a day. It has been hard to adjust my schedule. Often, if I am out with friends, I have to come home just to give her insulin injection, and then head back out. It has been difficult, but I’ve never regretted having her.”

Three words that best describe his relationship with his cats: Protective. Exhaustive. Priceless.

IV. Farah Khan + Lulu, the dog, and Zazou, the cat

26-year-old Farah Khan, works as a Brand Manager at Creative Co. Lulu became part of the family when she followed Farah’s sister home one day, and Zazou was discovered aimlessly wandering near parked cars. They were both immediately brought into the clan.

“My dad, sisters and I have always been huge animal lovers, so bringing these two into the family was the most natural thing to do. The real surprise has been my mother’s change in attitude. I sometimes suspect she loves the two of them more than she loves me!”

The adoption story: “My mum never allowed us to have a pet and I always wanted one. Lulu was abandoned by her owners and she used to live near my building. People always kept food out for her. One day, she simply followed my sister home. Somehow, playing with her became a regular thing for us.

She started sleeping outside our house during the monsoons, and after a while, the other residents in our building began complaining about it. To put an end to all the complaints, we let her move in. She has been a stray most of her life, which is why she is not used to leashes or being taken for a walk. So when she wants to leave, she sits in front of my door, and someone lets her out. She wanders around the building, and the road (she has a couple of stray friends), and then comes back home. When she returns, she just barks and we let her in.

One day, as I was driving into the building, the guard made us slow down because there was a little kitten wandering around. I went home and told my sister about it, and she promptly went down and brought her up. She was quite ill and so we called the vet and got her the required treatment.  She joined the family without anyone even realizing! We named her Zazou (also known as Skittles, but responds to neither). Funnily enough Lulu doesn’t really like puppies, but loves cats. So after a bit of adjusting, the two of them became best friends. Zazou harasses Lulu on a regular basis, and Lulu would probably sit on her if she could get close enough!”

Three words that best describe your relationship with his pets: Don’t really have three words, but it’s almost like a relationship with a sibling—there’s lots of bullying, and fighting, but it all comes from love, and affection.

V. Gayatri Madhavan + Zorro, Muttley and Boo, the dogs

Gayatri Madhavan is a homemaker who moved from Bombay to Goa in 2008, with the dream of living in a house with at least four or five dogs. Currently, her house is packed with three beautiful dogs. Zorro the Rottweiler came to them through their vet as his previous owner couldn’t handle him, Muttley the Labrador was rescued from Cuffe Parade, and Boo was rescued by Gayatri at five months when she found her outside a restaurant.

“You get an unlimited lifelong supply of unconditional love and affection, by simply making them a part of your family.”

The adoption story: “Both my husband and I had dogs growing up. Adopting the three dogs were all instances of spur of the moment decisions, after either seeing the dog in distress or having heard of a dog in distress. Since we can’t afford to offer a home to every dog in distress, we try and pick the ones that have less chances of finding a loving home.

Zorro, a male Rottweiler, was the first one that we adopted, when he was just 9 months. My vet happened to mention to us that there was a lovely six-month-old boy looking for a home, as his owner, an 80-year-old, could not handle him anymore. At that point, we already had two dogs and a toddler and we didn’t think there was space for one more pet. We asked all friends if anyone was willing to adopt him and no one wanted a grown male Rottweiler, that too one who had one undescended testicle. About two weeks later, my vet called me again and asked us to meet Zorro, who, by then had been castrated. When we met him, we found out that he was actually nine months old and not six, which further reduced his chances of finding a home. He’d eaten up his sutures from the abdominal surgical wound and had a choke chain with spikes on the inside, bits of his tongue was missing and he had a broken tail. We decided immediately that he would come home.

After Zorro, we were sure we didn’t have space for any more dogs, but then Zorro’s orthopaedic surgeon in Mumbai, happened to tell us about a five-month-old fawn Labrador, who had been found tied on the pavement in Cuffe Parade. He had been rescued by PFA and had been to a few homes in Mumbai, but being a hyperactive puppy, who chewed everything, he was always returned. My daughter heard his story and decided that he was her new little brother. That’s how Muttley came to us.

Boo, my littlest girl, a Germany Shepherd cross, was found one night when we had gone out for dinner. It so happened that I had stepped out of the restaurant for some fresh air and heard a whimper. I saw this adorable little thing trying to hide herself by sticking to the wall. She must have been about five months and she looked starved. I just sat down and called out to her, and next thing I knew, she was on my lap. I didn’t have the heart to leave her there so she came home with us.”

 Three words that best describe his relationship with his dogs: They are family.

VI. Joran Diwan + Amber, the dog

27-year-old Joran Diwan is a lawyer, based out of Mumbai. Amber came into his life in 2010, when he found her through a friend whose neighbour had rescued the entire litter (Amber and her siblings) from Juhu beach.

 “Adopting a pet has taught me patience.”

The adoption story: “I have always wanted a dog, but I was not allowed to get one. When I moved to Mumbai in 2010, I had decided that I was going to get a dog. I was looking into the various options that were available to me when one of my friends told me about a neighbour of his, who had taken in puppies from Juhu beach and was looking for homes for them. That was the first time I thought of adoption as a viable option.

So, I went to Juhu and met the puppies. I must have spent about an hour playing with them and I knew that nothing would make me happier than giving at least one of them a home to stay. Once I made up my mind, it was only a matter of choosing whom to take home. At the end of the day, I brought home a beautiful puppy girl, who I named Amber. There wasn’t much of a process involved except getting her registered with the local BMC ward.”

Three words that best describe his relationship with his dog: My Life. Often challenging (she can be quite stubborn at times). Unconditional love.

VII. Kavya Trehan + Kira and Rukia, the cats

Delhi-based Kavya Trehan decided to try her hand at music, theatre, and advertising, right after graduating with a degree in Psychology from LSR. Currently, she is working for Grey Worldwide while moonlighting as the lead singer of the band MOSKO. Rukia and Kira were accidental adoptions: Kavya had earlier planned to adopt another cat, but in her heart, something told her that Ruka and Kira were the ones for her. Needless to say, they came home with her.

“Adopting these pets has made me a complete mush-pot towards animals! I’m a sucker for my cats – it’s true.”

The adoption story: “My boyfriend and I had been planning to buy a cat when we happened to hear about a girl in Shahpur Jat who takes in stray cats. Quite instantly, we made up our mind and decided to adopt a cat. After a few telephone conversations, we visited her house so that we could meet a ginger cat called Phiphi, that we thought we could take home. However, once they got there, two kittens—a grey cat who was blind in one eye and another with an injured hind leg—stole my attention. Initially, I was going to take home only the grey cat, but once the owner told me that the two are best friends, my heart melted. The two cats, named, Rukia and Kira, have come to be an integral part of the Trehan family. I don’t understand what it is about them, because I  was never a cat person, but Kira and Rukia are very special to me.”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her cats: Fuzzy. Compassionate. Mighty mighty playful!

VIII. Malika Bhavnani + Simba and Leo, the cats

 Malika Bhavnani is a Brand Communications Manager with Madison. In her free time, she also works as a helpline for people with any cat-related concerns. Simba and Leo entered Malika’s life thanks to her previous cat, a tabby stray, who mated and left the kittens in Malika’s house. And that’s where they stayed.

 “Adopting pets has been the best decision I ever made! In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog.” (Expand that philosophy to fit in our felines too!)”

The adoption story: “Growing up, I was more of a dog person. My cat adventures began almost eight years ago when Tiger, a stray grey tabby, walked into my life. His rendezvous with a dark brown cat, named Chocolate, behind my building, ultimately brought the two kittens, Simba and Leo, into our lives. They were born in my house and we thought we’d let them go eventually, but when we saw that they had pretty much made themselves at home, we decided to adopt them. Adopting a pair of kittens (now, mini tigers) has changed my life completely, for the better, of course. Each day, I learn something new about them. Simba is very playful and he believes he is superior to humans. He always has to get his way—if he wants to play, we have to drop everything and play with him; if he wants a certain snack, he has to be given the right one, or he won’t eat it. He is smart enough to know which container has the snack he prefers and actually knocks if off the kitchen shelf if we don’t give into his wishes. Leo, on the other hand, is extremely shy and is very reluctant to be stroked or touched against his will. But, when he wants it, he has to get it. He will follow you until you give him some loving.

In the past three years after adopting these two monkeys, I have rescued over 50 kittens. I foster them against the will of my two bratty cats and nurse them back to good health and, help them socialise. Once they are ready, I find them homes and I try my best to follow-up with all the adopters. Seeing that skinny scrawny little thing you were sure didn’t a chance, all grown up, confident, healthy and well settled in a place called home is an amazing feeling. A little love goes a long way, and that is where fostering plays a major role.

Cats are truly misunderstood. People think they are sly and not loving like dogs. That is not the case. My cats actually wait by the door to greet me when I come home from work, they come to snuggle and cuddle at any opportunity. So, I decided to spend my time spreading more awareness about cats so people realize they are not selfish, sly beings. Adopting a cat is a lifetime commitment and the NGO I work with, World For All, strives to provide adopters with many helpful resources and information about cat care, food and nutrition, health, and  house training, that will help him take care of their new pet.”

Three words that describe her relationship with her pets: Priceless. Unconditional Love. Purrminators: Stress Busters.

IX. Malika Dhingra + Ginger and Mittens, the cat

Malika Dhingra is a content head with a fashion house and a proud owner of several stray cats. Ginger was found as a kitten, abandoned in a rubbish bin near a fish market, and Mittens was adopted shortly after.

 “Adopting a pet has proved to be much more rewarding than buying one. They are grateful and ever loving.”

The adoption story: “I have always had strays as pets, ever since I can remember. My grandfather inspired me a great deal in becoming the animal-lover that I am today. I always preferred adopting pets, as I believe everyone deserves a fair chance at being loved. Strays are often troubled, pelted with stones and shooed away and I like to think that, albeit in a small way, I am helping them.

There wasn’t a formal adoption process as my kitty was picked up from a dustbin where he was clearly left to die. My husband found him near a dustbin located around the fish market—where rats and crows were attacking what he initially thought was a piece of fish. When he realised it was actually a poor kitten that they were picking on, he picked him up brought him home. When we had a good look at him, we saw that bits and pieces of his skin were missing, his tail was broken, his hind legs were just a gob of flesh, and his eyes were shut with infection. We took him to the local vet who told us upfront that he would not live for too long and that we should put him to sleep to end his misery. Instead, we got him anti-infection shots and other necessary injections. We took care of him like a child and somehow, against all odds, he survived. We named him Ginger and now he is an important part of my family. His fight for his life has taught me to never give up no matter how hard it gets and fight it out until the end. Soon after, I adopted my second cat, Mittens and I cannot imagine my life without either one of them. I don’t think it is I who adopted Ginger and Mittens, but it is they who adopted me!”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her cat: Trust. Unconditional love. Loyalty.

X. Nina Joshi + Lucky, Velvet and Misha, the dogs

Nina Joshi completed her BFA in graphic design from Los Angeles before returning to India. After working for a few years in media, she quit to start up her own shop. Currently, she is the owner of OH MY DOG!, a pet salon & shop at King’s Circle, Matunga. Lucky, a stray-Husky mix was found on the steps of her shop one morning with broken hind legs, and Velvet, a Dachshund-Spitz mix came through a friend. Misha finally became hers after a string of disappointing adoptions.

 “Adopting has shown me a side of myself that I didn’t know existed before.”

The adoption story:  “I didn’t really decide to adopt. It just happened. I have too many pets, so I will just tell you the three most recent rescues and adoptions.

The first one is Lucky, a stray husky mix. I found him on the steps of my shop one morning with two broken hind legs, small stab wounds on his body and burn marks around his genitals. I fostered him for over two months, before I decided to adopt him. I had actually put out an adoption post for him and many people came to ‘adopt’ him, but when they saw he was a husky mix, they rejected him. It is actually their loss because now he is now mine.

The other is Velvet, a Dachshund-Spitz mix of some sort. One of my friends, Suresh Naidu, found him and was looking for a foster and I volunteered. She was a tiny pup of about two months with just bone and blood in place of a leg. For almost two months, she lived in a cage at my salon and then I brought her home. For a long time, I tried to get her adopted, knowing in my heart that her chances of adoption were very slim. ‘Three legged and quite ugly’ was how people saw her and she didn’t stand a chance. I ended up keeping her. She is now the most beautiful, handicapable, loving dog I know.

Lastly, there is Misha. She is a German Shepherd. She is the calmest, mildest dog I have ever encountered. I found her a year ago, tied outside a Parsi fire temple in the Parsi colony. I saw her one day in the morning, on my way to the shop. I knew couldn’t handle another one with my house already so packed with the other two. I left her there and hoped someone would rescue her. When I returned in the evening, she was still there. I ignored her and went home for a shower. By the time I got out of the shower, I had 32 missed calls from almost half the colony members, who had spotted her and wanted my help to admit her to the SPCA. I went and got her admitted her to the SPCA under a trustee’s name (with approval). Once I saw she was safe, I left her there and forgot all about her. Two months later, I got a call from a family in Badlapur who were interested in adopting a German Shepherd. I went to check if she was still around at the SPCA and I was horrified (but not surprised) to find her half-dead, completely malnourished, tick ridden and diseased at the SPCA. I took her home, fostered her for two weeks and took her to her new family in Badlapur. A week later, they returned her to me because the child of the house suddenly developed asthma because of the dog. She went through three new adoptions and three more families. By this time, the only constant in her life was Lucky, Velvet and I. She whined and barked every time I took her to a new family and finally, after the fourth rejection, I decided to keep her.

I can go on and on about my other adoptions—I’ve got some crazy cat stories too! The truth is, I can’t imagine life without them. They are my entire existence. Every time I decide to take some time off for myself, I feel sick just thinking what sort of ‘me’ time I would have without them by my side. They drive me insane, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re more than just family.”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her dogs: I don’t think words can describe our bond, but if I had to pick a few words, they would be, eternal, symbiotic and magical.

XI. Niyati Bharucha+ Spook and Jupiter, the cats

 Niyati Bharucha is a PR & marketing executive. She is also a professional footballer, writer and model. She met Spook and Jupiter (earlier named Batcat and Creampuff) at a shoot involving cats. She fell in love and spoke to the volunteers. A week later, the cats were hers.

 “Cats are more human than humans sometimes—I have learned to love from them, and I have realised that no love is truer than that of an animal; it is the closest to ‘unconditional’ we can get.”

 The adoption story: “I have always believed in adopting and not buying, simply because life is not something that should be purchased. This is probably my 12th pet. I stopped keeping count after a point when we had eight cats in the same house! My mum adopted the first cat we ever had, and I was born when he was 10. She used to have a pet goat in her backyard when she was growing up, and I guess it’s from her that our love for animals stems.

My story reeks of crazy-cat-lady-ness. I have wanted to adopt cats for a long time, and around my mum’s and my birthday in July, everything somehow fell into place. In July, BuzzFeed happened to be shooting a feature of one of my friends, a comedian. They planned to show him hanging out with 12 cats. They were shooting at another friend’s house and he had never had a cat at home before, so he called me over to supervise. That is where I met Spook and Jupiter (we changed their names—they were Batcat and Creampuff before)—they were two of the 12 cats that the volunteers from World for All brought.

They were the friendliest, happiest, and most playful of the lot. Spook actually went to sleep in my arms while I was talking to her and rocking her. Jupiter and Spook were being fostered together and I didn’t have the heart to separate them. So, I spoke to the volunteers who got in touch with one of the managers and I adopted them in a week. Usually the procedure involves a house visit and assistance with medical care, but other than a phone call and picking them up, they trusted me completely with the kittens because I’ve had so many before.

The more time I spend with Spook and Jupiter, or any animals actually, the clearer it becomes to me that they will love you if you love them and treat them well.”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her cats: Naps are important.

XII. Parizad D + Gecko, Brownie and Snowball, the cats

Parizad D is a photographer based out of Mumbai. She lives with her two cats, Gecko and Brownie. She found Gecko and Brownie outside her college, while Snowball was found running around Kayani restaurant. Parizad tried to find him a home, but ultimately decided to keep him.

 “Adopting a pet has been the most fulfilling experience ever.”

The adoption story: “It  was just something inevitable. I grew up bringing home stray kittens, puppies, injured birds, and what not. I loved having them around, but my parents weren’t too keen on the idea, so I stayed content feeding neighbourhood strays and showering other’s pets with love and affection. About four years ago, my folks eventually they came around and that is how three beautiful kittens (now very large, fat, adorable cats) became a part of my life.

I found two of my cats, Gecko and Brownie, outside my college. I saw a crow pecking at something from a distance and when I moved closer, I found these two tiny beauties. They were so small, they fit into the palm of one hand. They looked like they were only a couple of days old; one of them hadn’t even opened her eyes yet. I tried searching for their mother, but when I couldn’t find her, leaving them back on the street to fend for themselves did not sit well with me.

I was around 18 at that time and living with my parents, who were still completely against the idea of pets in the house. I brought them home and it took all of two weeks for my mother’s maternal instincts to kick in, and soon they were inseparable. We would all take turns in taking care of them. Since they were so young, they had to be bottle-fed every few hours, and they had a lot of health issues which required constant visits to the vet. For the first few months, we weren’t even sure they would make it, but they pulled through.

I stumbled upon my third cat, Snowball when he was running around Kayani restaurant, one evening. He was a little older compared to the other two, but was still extremely frazzled and scared. He was a gorgeous looking kitten (if, your idea of gorgeous is a kitten who looks like Hitler with green eyes), so I was sure I would be able to find him a home. After a while though, we grew so fond of him that we couldn’t give him up.

Having a pet has been one of the best things ever. It was a little difficult when they were younger because everyone in the house worked so there would be times when no one was around to take care of them. Sometimes I would wrap them up in a blanket, put them to sleep in an open sling bag, take them to college, and have friends watch over them while I had lectures. Now that they are older and healthy, it is a lot easier.

People always think that cats aren’t affectionate, but that’s quite a misconception. I’ve lost track of the number of times my day has been made because I was coming home to three adorable furry creatures waiting to climb into my lap, or curl up in bed with me and stay there for eternity.”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her cats: Crazy. Cat. Person. Enough said.

XIII. Rajeev Waghre + his cats

 Rajeev Waghre owns a placement consulting business. He lives with his beautiful pet cats. It all started when a mother cat moved into his garage to deliver a litter. Then another followed, and another.

 “Adopting pets have mellowed us down. It has made us caring and concerned about strays. Saving, sheltering and caring for them has given us unparalleled delight.”

The adoption story: “I didn’t have pets all my life, but somehow at the age of 52, I started feeding stray cats. Before I knew it, I was sheltering a cat with her litter in my garage. Then one day, I picked up a stray kitten abandoned on the road and putting her along with the litter in the garage. We watched as the mother cat fed the stray alongside her own kittens.

Before we knew it, cats were bringing their litters into our garage because they felt safer there and children from our neighbourhood began leaving strays in our garden. We took them all in. Within the last five years, we must have had over 20 cats at home and fed another 20 stray cats on a regular basis. And to think, it all started with a mother cat who moved her litter of three into our garage!
We have had moments of unbridled joy watching the young mischievous kittens grow. We have learnt what phrases like ‘catnap’, ‘catwalk’, ‘cat’s whiskers’, and ‘curious cat’ really mean—and how apt these descriptions are. I have a morning ritual where I have tea and read my newspaper in the garden surrounded by all my cats who give me company and eat biscuits. My friends and family have fondly nicknamed this as the ‘tea party’.”

Three words that best describe his relationship with his cats: “I can’t give you just three, but I will say this: the cats are like our children and our whole day revolves around them.”

XIV. Ribayah Memon + Chao and Munni, the dogs

25-year-old Ribayah Memon is a senior copywriter at a design and communication agency called AutumnWinter. She and her brother found Chao and Munni outside her school and decided to take them home. 

 “Adopting has been one of the most fulfilling experiences, with a lot of mutual affection, chaos, fun and gratitude along the way.”

The adoption story: “From the moment I could remember, my family has had dogs. First, was a Dachshund, and then two Labradors, and at one point, two of their pups as well. We always fed and looked after the strays around our house as well. At this point, we already had quite a houseful, so the decision to adopt came to us out of nowhere.

Back in 2008, on a cold January morning, I found a litter of puppies, just across the road from my school.  Their mother had abandoned them and it was obvious that if they were left on their own, they wouldn’t survive for too long. It was only a matter of time. I explained the situation to my brother and the next thing I know, we were in front of my school, picking up the pair. Chao and Mao, we named them.

In 2011, our oldest and wisest, Asterix the Dachshund, passed away, and with all the other dogs now living on our farm in Alibaug, we had the space for more. We decided to adopt once again. My brother wanted to adopt an Indie pup, and a bit of research led him to the In Defence of Animals, India page. He even went and visited their main shelter in Navi Mumbai. It’s a rather nice story actually, because he went there hoping to bring home a pup, but the lady at the shelter told him about how pups get adopted quite easily, but not many takers in the slightly older ones. She made him meet a sprightly little one-year-old girl, Munni and a few minutes later, she was the newest member of our family.

After having many dogs of different breeds and personalities, what I can say is that our strays or Indies, or whatever you want to call them, are the most smart, adaptable, resilient and loving dogs. As much as they love sleeping on the bed or the AC at night, they haven’t lost even a bit of that street-smart instinct. And they are so beautiful too! Today, Mao is no more, but Chao is the leader of the pack at our farm. She is so calm and aware of her surroundings. Munni (that is her shelter name, but it gave her that bit of character you know, so we kept it), on the other hand has us all wrapped around her little paw. I can’t even sleep at night unless she’s next to me, or go half an hour without troubling her or playing with her and she’s the same way with me!”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her dogs: Playful. Honest. Unconditional.

XV. Saba Yahya + Stewie, Night and Xena, the cats

Saba is a yoga and Pilates instructor with a flair for collecting little critters in distress. She found Stewie wandering in the middle of the road at Seven Bungalows in Andheri. Night too was found aimlessly wandering, while Xena was rescued after being found injured and bleeding.

 “Adopting a pet has taught me to be patient and love selflessly.”

The adoption story: “It all just happened out of nowhere. I simply happened to be there when they needed me and I rescued them and brought them home with me.

I have three cats. Stewie, a Tomcat is my oldest one. He is going to turn five this December. He was a little over a month when I found him in the middle of a heavily crowded street at Seven Bungalows in Andheri. I didn’t really give it much thought and just picked him up and got him home. My doggie took a liking to him and he has been with us ever since.

Night, is my second cat. He is a beautiful black male and he just turned one. His story is the same as Stewie’s. The only difference is that he is a little petrified of my dog and keeps a safe distance from him.

Xena, is my third, and she is around 10 months old. She is a Calico that my boyfriend and I found lying in the middle of the road, injured and bleeding. I thought that the most we could do was to pick her up and put her on the side of the road and wait until she naturally sinks (it was one in the morning, so getting hold of a doctor was close to impossible). But, the little one had different plans altogether and that’s when we rushed her to SPCA in Parel. She was in a coma for three days, surviving on only drips. She woke up on the fourth day and we bought her back home with us. She has very weak eyesight because of her head injury,but she is such an active one now.”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her cats: Feed me slave (me being the slave). Just kidding. These three are my everything. I won’t do justice by describing my crazy relationship with my cats in three words!

XVI. Smita Khanna + Chu, Maya and Tara, the dogs.

Smita Khanna is an architect who runs her own company called Note Design. She and her husband, Nikhil Mathew, live in Colaba with their three pets Chu, Maya and Tara. Chu was adopted from the Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD), while Maya and Tara were rescued by a friend of Smita’s after their siblings had been run over by a bus. Smita’s friend couldn’t keep them, so they became a part of her family instead.

“Adopting a pet has taught us about unselfish love.”

The adoption story: “I have always wanted a pet and Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD) seemed like a great place to adopt from. When I finally went to the shelter, I was so excited to see so many hyper and happy dogs. But, Chu simply stood out and I didn’t need to think twice about taking him home. Chu was this bouncy puppy that essentially adopted me from the first visit. However, she was an extremely sick dog and we had to wait for a few weeks before we could bring her home. The first few weeks were extremely tough. We spent about five hours a day at the vet, at that time, until she pulled through, but the whole ordeal only brought us closer.

Maya and Tara, came into our lives out of nowhere. One of our friends, Priya Singh, actually rescued them from the street, shortly after a bus ran over their siblings. They were completely shaken by the incident, they needed someone to take care of them. Unfortunately, Priya couldn’t take the responsibility and we decided to look after them for a while. We initially didn’t intend to keep them, but we realised very quickly that they were part of our family.”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her dogs: Happiness. Symbiosis. Family.

XVII. Sonica Dsouza + Godly, Tootsie, Pepper, Sugar, Tiara, Zuba and Lincoln, the dogs

Sonica Dsouza is a model. She lives with her mother, Namita who owns a boutique, and her three adopted dogs. Goldy was left on the doorstep of her mother’s store, Tootise was rescued from Thane, Pepper was found at a construction site, and Sugar was saved from being attacked by bigger dogs.Tiara Zuba and Lincoln are her Boxers: Tiara was bought and Zuba was one of her puppies, while Lincoln was adopted through YODA.

“Adopting a pet makes you feel satisfied to the bone. It’s simple. You cannot put a price tag on them. The same creator sent them to earth and none of us have the right to make money off of them. Sometimes I wonder if it’s us who have evolved or them, because even though they can’t speak, they ‘say’ things that none of us humans could even come close to thinking of.”

The adoption story: “The first dog that my mother adopted was a golden Labrador female called Goldy. It so happened that one of her assistants at the boutique was getting married and couldn’t take the dog along with her after her marriage. Even though she thought it would be a good idea to take her in, she didn’t really make the commitment. A few days later, the girl came and dropped Goldy off at her place saying that she didn’t have any other option. My mother didn’t think twice before taking her in. That’s where the ‘doggy battalion’ began.

We lost her in 2011. She was 15 years old at the time. While she was with us, she gave birth to six beautiful babies and our friends adopted all, except one of them. We kept one of her baby boys and named him Shrek. He is now 12 years old.

The second dog we adopted is an Indian breed that we picked up from the roads in Thane. She was about to get run over when I went and picked her up. I got her home and just like that, she became a part of our family. We named the little munchkin Tootsie. She is 12 now!

The third one is Pepper. I picked her up from a construction site near our home. It took a bit of coaxing before my mom was convinced about letting her live with us. With three dogs, our house didn’t have much space left. Initially, I lied and told her that I just got her so that I could play with her for a while. For a few days, I kept her hidden in my house, But of course, mothers know everything. After several days of arguing and bickering, she eventually gave in. Unfortunately, just a few days ago, on September 1, she passed away. Her loss has left a huge void that cannot be filled.

My mom found our fourth girl, a Spitz-indie mixed breed, who we named Sugar, on a rainy day. The poor thing was being attacked by several other bigger dogs. She was just three months old at that time. My mom got her home thinking that she would take her to the vet, feed her, plump her up a bit and then find her a home, but as they all say—history repeats itself. It been over a year now and she is a part of our crazy pack now.

I moved out of my mom’s house a while ago and now I live with my boyfriend. The two of us are the proud parents of three Boxers. My first boxer-girl who is called Tiara was actually bought (something we’ll never encourage or do ever again in the future) by my boyfriend as a Valentine’s Day gift. She had a litter of seven. We gave away all, except one of them, called Zuba. Our third boxer boy is Lincoln. We adopted him through an NGO called YODA. He used to be kept in a 500 sq. ft. house along with other breeds and their puppies by a breeder. When the NGO found out about this, they rescued him. I was actually called to foster him and I agreed. But I didn’t have the heart to part with him once he came into my life. I actually had a lot of adopters coming in to take him, but I kept ignoring their calls. Months passed by and without really saying much we knew he was going to be a permanent part of our family.”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her pets: Love. Trust. Selflessness

XVIII. Zenden Lama + Teggy, Gunda, Mawali and Suzy, the dogs

Zenden Lama, who runs Dorje Doma Designs, a company that manufactures custom-made furniture, is also the proud owner of four dogs. Her love for these beautiful furry creatures can be traced back to her grandmother, who has always taken the time to shelter all kinds of animals in need—be it injured birds or abandoned baby squirrels. Watching her grandmother shed such unconditional love towards all creatures around her made Lama an animal-lover. His first adoption was Kaiser, a German Shepard. Then came Lucky, and the others.

 “Adopting a pet has really changed our world. We’ve never regretted our decision even when we’ve had over four dogs together at home. They are family and we wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.”

The adoption story: “The ever first pet my family adopted was an Alsatian that our watchman found by the beach, right after our pet German Shepherd passed away. Adopting him seemed like the most natural thing to us and so, we took him home and gave him the name Kaizer. A few weeks later, during one of her daily morning walks, my grandmother came across a puppy lying in a dustbin. The poor thing was hardly four weeks old. We adopted her as well, and named her Lucky because she was the only one from her family who managed to survive after being poisoned.

A year after Kaizer passed away, we happened to find a German Shepherd duo by the beach. We managed to track down their owners with some help from our vet but when we approached them, they refused to take ownership of the pair. We didn’t have the heart to abandon them and so we adopted the duo and even retained their old names, Teggy and Suzy. Since then, my family has adopted almost four other dogs. I get to come home to a Beagle, a stray who is now a part of my family, and two Boxers, Tyson Gunda and Genghis Mawali (they were named so that together they become Gunda Mawali!).”

Three words that best describe her relationship with her dogs: Family. Unconditional love. Nonjudgmental.

[Full disclosure: when we put out the word that we were looking for people to profile for this story, the response was so overwhelming we weren’t able to fit them all into one article. But, we’ll be turning this into a series, so if you or someone you know wants to share their story, write to us at contact@homegrown.co.in with the subject line ‘PET ADOPTION STORY’ and we’ll get back to you with what we need.]
If you’re thinking of adopting a pet in Mumbai, don’t hesitate to contact World For All. They have end-to-end services available to ensure that all their rescues are in the best hands possible and will quickly rid you of any hesitation you might have had.