June the Cat – A True Story About a Cat Who Struggled, But Now is Loved

Little June snoozing on the couch at my old apartment.

My name is Dan, and I am the writer for the blogs and newsletters here at The Hervey Foundation for Cats. This is the story about one of my cats, June, or as we affectionately call her, Little Tuna.

In the Spring of 2018, I had recently gotten out of a long-term relationship where we had two cats. Each cat had bonded with one of us, so I kept my best buddy, Winslow, and Louis the cat went with my ex.

When I say Winslow was my best buddy, he really was the closest thing I had ever had to a soul mate in a cat. From the minute I picked him up at the shelter, he hugged me with both arms and never let go. Every day, I woke up with Winslow’s face pressed into my neck, or his giant body snoring while he lay on my chest or sharing the pillow with me. All he ever wanted, 24/7, was to be around me, pressing his face into mine, or sleeping on top of me.

Sadly, Winslow had a heart condition that took his life in 2021. It was very hard on me, but that story is for another time. Today, we are talking about a very special little kitty named June.

The snow was melting, and Winslow and I were hanging out in my living room. I was at my desk, using my computer, and he was sleeping in his bed on top of my desk. I was scrolling through Facebook when I came across a post from a friend of mine who had just purchased a house not too far from where I lived. There was a picture of a poor little cat looking up at him, and the story was heartbreaking. She had been left behind.

A photo from my friend’s Facebook post of June while she was living outdoors.

“We moved into a home in Wolseley to find the previous owners/tenants abandoned this beautiful and so far very sweet cat. We were greeted within 10 minutes of entering our new home by a neighbor who told us her name is June and that she is also trying to find her a good home. She's really cute as soon as I opened the door she rolled onto her back and has been very gentle. I am quite allergic hence our hypoallergenic dogs and they also would pose another issue so we can't keep her. Please Facebook friends/community help me relocate this June!!!!!!”

I could not believe what I was reading. It felt like something you hear about in a tragic book or short story – and the fact that she was so nice and kind.

I sent a message to my friend and asked about the cat. He told me he felt the same way about people abandoning their pets and was in total shock that the previous owners had left her behind.

Being a cat guy, I brought some cans of wet food with me as I knew she had spent some time outside and would probably appreciate a good meal.

As soon as I pulled up to their house, there she was – rolling in the dirt, loving the sun, but also a little desperate. As I walked up to the house to ring the doorbell, she ran up with me and clearly wanted to be let inside. My friend opened the door and had to make sure she didn’t slip past him and into the house because of his allergies.

We stood there for a while chatting while June scarfed down some wet food and talked about how heartless some people can be.

After she ate, I encouraged her into my cat carrier with some treats, then packed her into the car. June hated the car ride and made some horrible noises that would make anyone feel for her. She had been abandoned by her family and was now being taken from the only home she likely knew. June only looked about three at the time, but I’ve never been able to pinpoint her age.

When we got to my apartment, I kept her in my room for a couple of days to let her acclimatize to things and sniff under the door at Winslow. Winnie was a very confident cat and never got nervous around other animals – dogs or cats. June, on the other hand, was very nervous.

My apartment was likely filled with Winslow’s scent, something totally foreign to her. She was also in a much smaller place, a one-bedroom apartment. There weren’t a ton of places for her to hide there, not that she needed to, but she did.

Once out in the main apartment, June took to the bottom of my cat tree. Since I noticed her setting up shop in there, I decided to make it more comfortable for her. I put a fleecy blanket in there and lots of padding under and around it. Using a towel, I blocked off the top opening and sides, so she could have some privacy, and she definitely needed it.

For about a year, June slept in what I began calling June’s Apartment. I could tell she was very sad and having a hard time adjusting. She wouldn’t eat her food unless I sat with her, and besides mealtime and using the litter box, she was always in there.

Another thing that I noticed right away was that she must have been physically abused. Whenever I would go to pet her, she would wince and bite my hand if it touched anywhere beyond the back of her head. She would make terrible wincing sounds if picked up, and when I would put her on the couch or my bed, she’d jump off immediately.

Part of me was so upset that anyone would treat a little cat like June that way – and she is little. June has a much smaller frame than any other cat I’ve had and was likely the runt of her litter.

As someone who deeply loves and understands cats, instead of rejecting her for her defensive behaviour, I slowly started to try and get to know her. I would pet her where she was comfortable, talk to her in gentle, loving tones, and sit with her while she ate.

Winslow wanted to get to know her as well, but after a few good swipes, he just gave her space.

As the years went by, June got more and more comfortable at the apartment, but she would still wince when I tried to pet her, and she’d sleep on the couch for hours, only to get up and leave if I stood up from a chair or came into the living room. It was progress, but she was clearly still struggling.

After Winslow passed away in 2021, June slowly started coming out of her apartment more. I had started dating my now wife, Kristyn, who June quickly began to trust. If I had to guess, it was a man who was abusive towards her in the past, because she warmed up quickly.

When Kristyn and I moved to a much larger condo, June started to warm up even more. I used to take her into the hallway to exercise, and she would try, but she’d never run. June was pretty overweight from sitting in her apartment (in my old apartment), so losing weight was our next challenge.

June bundled up in a blanket on her bed in our condo.

Kristyn and I adopted a kitten named Milhouse while we were still in the condo, and he had such a big personality. June didn’t know what to make of him. At first, she hissed at him, then she let him be in the same room, then he just annoyed her from time to time, then they would snuggle together for a period, and then Milhouse got so big he was just annoying her again.

After a year in the condo, Kristyn and I bought our first house, and when June and Milhouse first walked in the door, they were thrilled. The house was a lot bigger than my apartment, and while it was similarly large as our condo was, it also had a basement and a second floor.

I don’t know if it was having access to all the different floors, the places to hide, or just being able to put some distance between her and Milhouse during the day, but June unlocked a new level of comfort.

She was way more confident, she wanted to explore the backyard (always supervised), and she was spending a lot of time on the couches and beds. It was like something clicked for her, and she was safe again.

As time went on, June started to slow down a little, and we noticed she was limping and struggling to jump on things. After a trip to our vet, Dr. Broughton, at Exclusively Cats (an incredible place with a wonderful doctor in Winnipeg, MB), we learned June had arthritis in her lower back and back legs. Since she hadn’t moved much in such a long time, her muscles had withered and were nowhere near the size of a normal cat her age. He prescribed Gabapentin and Glucosamine, so we had them filled and took her back home, feeling hopeful for the future.

Dr. Broughton was right. June has come back to life. She is running everywhere, jumping up on surfaces we never thought she could before, and cuddling on our bed, sometimes all night, while we are awake and asleep.

It used to be that if we were standing in the kitchen and a cat bolted past us, it was Milhouse or his younger brother Bart (check out Bart’s Corner in our educational newsletters to learn his story), but now June is the one running full speed with excitement!

June is finally comfortable mentally and physically. She has found her real family, and we will never let her go like the people who originally claimed her. After suffering under their hands for her early years, we have worked hard to smother her with comfort and kindness, and she is now the happy little girl she deserves to be.

Here she is catching some Zs on our couch in the house.

As for biting, she sometimes still nips at you if you move too quickly to pet her, but if you stop moving your hand, she instantly realizes she is not in a bad situation anymore and will lick the spot she tried to bite.

I wanted to share this story as a way to illustrate that cats are not just a write-off because they bite people. In most cases, cats who bite just need a little help, kindness, and caring.

We love you, June!