Patches was born to a colony of cats in Florida and lived on the streets for most his life. I first found him in 2020, when I moved into a new home and started taking care of the colony. The other cats bullied hom relentlessly for food, no matter how much I put out, so I began feeding him across the street to make sure he ate. He was always skittish boy, but the day I first pet him I was in love. He was so soft and fluffy, like petting a cloud. Eventually, I was planning on moving again, this time to Michigan. Even with 2 other cats and a dog, I couldn’t leave him behind. I got him used to eating in a carrier and brought him inside, where he proceeded to hide every day until food was delivered to him. The drive up was a nightmare, but we made it. I had ordered a brand new cat tree that he quickly claimed as his own. He kept his hiding habits, but could also often be seen lounging on the tree and telling the others to get off it, like a grumpy old man. He was never a people person, but sometimes, when he was in a good mood, he’d let me scratch behind his ears and gently purr, so soft you’d almost miss it if the house wasn’t silent.