CHENNAI: Most people bring back chips, when they vacation in Kerala. Irati Lafragua and Jorge brought back a kitten. Tourists who were set on experiencing the sights and sounds of South India, the couple were in Alappuzha enjoying the calm that the backwaters bring, when they chanced upon a tiny, malnourished kitten on the road. And that’s where Chili’s adventure began. “She was abandoned along with two other kittens, who died because there was no one to take care of them. Since there was no animal shelter in Kerala, we decided to take her with us and visited Munnar, Varkala and Kanyakumari all together,” Irati wrote.
Two weeks later, the couple is in a quandary. As they prepare to leave Chennai to their next destination, they are desperately trying to find a family to take in the furry little imp. “They first came and visited me on Friday,” recounted Blue Cross of India’s general manager Dawn Williams. “The lady was in tears at the thought of leaving the kitten behind, so I suggested they keep it with them till they leave the country on Monday. But I also suggested that she put the kitten ‘Chili’ up for adoption on our Facebook page,” he added crisply. Irati was quick to respond and the post was made duly.
Starving and sickly, the girl from Spain, who lives in Bogota now, talked about how they had nursed the kitten back to health. “We took care of her by giving her medicines, proper food and lots of love and now she is a playful and adorable kitten,” she posted. But all that has changed — the kitten is not just social, but has also actually learnt how to use a litter box, in this short span of time!
As the Blue Cross had an adoption drive on Sunday, the kitten spent time with her Spanish-speaking foster parents, before they bid their ‘painful goodbyes’ to her, “We already love her like we’ve been together forever, but unfortunately, from India we’re not going home. If that had been the case, we would have taken her. We cannot keep travelling with her, so please help us find her a home. She will be happiest with a family,” she said passionately. Dawn Williams said that they would take her into their care and take every effort to try and get a good family to adopt her.
Chili has already done the rounds of India’s Southern-most states, but the question of how much further she will go still does remain. Will this high-spirited kitty from Alleppey be able to find a home in namma city?