Published Mar 19, 2024
Seven the Orange Kitten
A California woman rescued a sick kitten off the streets, hoping to provide him with a better life. But she didn’t expect a better life to require as many trips to the drive-through as has proven necessary.
Selfless act from a stranger
In October 2023, Sophia Sundar spotted a sick kitten in the care of an unhoused man in Modesto, California. Worried about the cat’s health, she asked the man if his kitten was okay. She learned that he couldn’t afford the vet care that the cat so desperately needed.
When Sophia met Seven, he was in very bad shape. / Seven the Orange Kitten
So Sophia asked the man if he would mind surrendering him, promising to take good care of his feline family member.
“His face lit up,” Sophia recalled, “and he was like, ‘Yes, please, take him.’”
Seven the menace
After graciously thanking the man, Sophia and her fiance took the cat, named Seven, to the vet as soon as possible.
They learned quickly just how dire the kitten’s health had been. Seven, who’d been covered in fleas, had multiple viruses, and weighed just one pound, likely wouldn’t have lived much longer without medical attention.
After going on antibiotics, however, his personality began to shine. “When he started getting better, he was a complete menace,” Sophia said with a laugh, noting how much energy the kitten needed to burn off every day.
Seven the menace strikes again! / Seven the Orange Kitten
She decided that Seven might benefit from getting outside, so she bought him a leash. He quickly became “this big old adventure cat that loves going on hikes and walks.”
“If we’re leaving out the door, he’s running behind us,” she said. “We have to literally convince him that you cannot go every time.”
Pup cup? Try cat cup
One day, after Sophia and her fiance had been out on a walk with Seven, they decided to drop into Starbucks. They purchased a pup cup for the cat in the drive-through, curious if he’d enjoy a few licks of the whipped cream snack.
And hoo boy, did Seven like what he was tasting. “He lost it,” Sophia said.
Sophia said they don’t give Seven a full pup cup. That’s too much! / Seven the Orange Kitten
Tickled by how much Seven loved the treat, Sophia began recording their trips to the drive-through. She started an account on social media featuring the experiences too.
“Within two weeks, the pup cup videos just went crazy,” she said. “We just wanted to show people how crazy he was and how funny it was, and we didn’t realize it was going to become so big.”
A sense of purpose
To Sophia, welcoming Seven into her family has been a huge benefit to her mental health.
With a few licks of whipped cream in his belly, you bet Seven is ready to rumble. / Seven the Orange Kitten
“I was in a very dark place when we had rescued Seven, and [he] gave me a sense of purpose,” she said, noting how the kitten instilled hope into her life once more.
“A lot of people say, thank you for saving him,” she added, “and we’re always like, thank you for saving us.”
