When you’re thinking of adopting a pet, you’re probably picturing different characteristics you’d like your four-legged friend to have. Whether you’re a fan of soft, silky coats, cute, curled ears, or bright, blue eyes, chances are you’re going to be drawn to cats that resemble your picture-perfect pet.
We know that there’s nothing wrong with that – people tend to gravitate toward cats and dogs that attract attention, and that’s OK. However, we do need to mention that even the cutest of cats experience health problems, deformities, and mutations you might not be aware of.
Before you opt for a purebred cat over a mysterious moggy with a limp or a deformed lip, know that purebred cats suffer from debilitating diseases more often than strays and rescue cats.
Breeders go above and beyond to create the fluffiest, most eye-catching, and most breathtaking felines out there. Unfortunately, they don’t shy away from experimenting with morally and ethically wrong techniques.
Besides, most purebred cats are “inbred” by definition which means they’re predisposed to health niggles from the get-go.
Persian cats, for example, are bred to appear severely deformed to appease the masses that adore smooshed faces and googly eyes – but Persian cats suffer from a myriad of health conditions, from the upper airway abnormality called brachycephalic airway syndrome (BAS) to kidney disease, heart disease, and arthritis.
Persian and other cats that are bred for the sake of entertaining the masses are the reason why people question whether we’re supposed to eradicate the entire custom of purchasing pets and start adopting them from rescue centers and shelters.
Now, that’s exactly what Kat Curtis did when she decided to adopt Uno. People might be rushing to purchase the flat-faced Persian, but they’re far from rushing to adopt an abandoned, one-eared moggy that might or might not have attitude problems.
Kat, on the other hand, didn’t care that Uno wasn’t a flawless feline with a pedigree.
Circling back to the story’s beginning, Uno was wandering the streets of Minnesota for many months before he stumbled upon Kat and her friends. Kat was coming back from a Saints baseball game when she noticed a scruffy, grubby black cat by the dumpster.
Uno meowed at her and Kat meowed back. When she approached him to take a closer look, she noticed that Uno was underweight, beaming with fleas, and short of an ear. Something clicked and she decided to take Uno to a rescue and hope for the best.
She thought that the rescue would be able to get Uno adopted, but that wasn’t the case – nobody wanted to adopt a one-eared cat. She couldn’t stop thinking about the day Uno spent with her (before she took him to the shelter) and she couldn’t help but wonder whether he would be better off with her.
Uno stole her heart, but she needed a few days to figure that out because she never thought she’d own a cat – a one-eared cat, for that matter. She went back to the rescue and took Uno home with her, once more. And, the rest was history.
Uno became the best part of Kat’s day – he was smart, affectionate, and appreciative of everything she did. He wanted to spend time with her, play with toys, run around the apartment, and do everything average cats do. He wasn’t affected by anything he went through whatsoever.
He was happy to be a part of Kat’s life.
According to Kat, he was super simple to train. Uno was an energetic cat from the get-go and Kat decided that he needed to spend some time outside, walking, running, and doing other “dog-like” activities. Uno learned how to wear a harness and started spending every moment of the waking hour outside.
Kat described what an average day with Uno looks like, too. Uno wakes up at 6 a.m. and starts bothering her and poking her face – he demands to be fed even though an automatic food feeder turns on at 6:30 a.m.
Uno, then, goes back to sleep and takes numerous naps throughout the day while Kat’s working. When Kat finishes work, the two of them go outside and spend the rest of the day there. Uno, of course, gets random outbursts of energy when everyone’s asleep, too – he’s an average cat, after all.
But, we do need to mention that Uno might not be as average as you might think. Uno’s a TikTok star thanks to Kat’s determination to document everything he does. Kat was a TikTok enthusiast, to begin with, and she decided to make a page for Uno because she thought the world deserved to see everything he does on a regular.
And, she made the right decision because the world went mad for Uno’s adventures. Uno doesn’t mind the attention and adores filming videos with Kat. One of Uno’s videos gathered more than 12 million views – Uno and Kat went to Petco to find Halloween costumes and the world wasn’t the same after that.
Of course, Kat doesn’t suggest filming your four-legged friends when they’re stressed out and overwhelmed. Uno doesn’t care that Kat’s filming TikToks and that’s why Kat continues to do that.
On top of that, Uno appreciates the attention, the presents he gets from different brands wanting to collaborate, and the friends he meets along the way. We salute you, Uno, and we’re looking forward to following your adventures on TikTok!
Read more: This Rescue Cat Is A Real Hero: He Helps Other Cats Find Forever Homes
