Hong Kong backpacker nurses stray Moroccan kitten back to health, vows to bring it home

Ho and Life the kitten’s first meeting in Morocco. Photo: Hobby Adventure Club via Facebook
Ho and Life the kitten’s first meeting in Morocco. Photo: Hobby Adventure Club via Facebook

Hong Kong backpacker Hobby Ho has warmed the hearts of thousands of netizens after he nursed a stray Moroccan kitten back to health and vowed to bring the adorable little animal back home with him.




Ho, who’s on a two-month journey to cycle across the Sahara, documented his feline holiday romance in a lengthy Facebook post on Tuesday that has since been shared widely on social media. Whilst making what was supposed to be a quick stop in the windy city of Dakhla, Morocco, Ho says, he had some items stolen from his hotel room and was forced to extend his stay.

“That day, I was walking through town when I saw these two eyes in the shadows. Our eyes met and it was as if time had stopped.” Ho quickly forged a bond with the tiny cat, shielding her from the wind in the blustery street, and using his hands to warm her up. The kitten showed Ho her affection by climbing onto his shoulder and nuzzling him. “I felt a profound connection with her, but I had to go,” he wrote.

Life the kitten is just weeks old. Screenshot: Hobby Adventure Club via Facebook

The next day, Ho saw the cat again while he was in a restaurant. “I spotted her on the other side of the road, packed up my food and brought it to her. After she was done wolfing it down, I picked her up again and could tell in the sunlight that she was all skin and bones, had no light in her eyes, and fleas on her fur.”

As a former animal trainer, Ho said he couldn’t bear to let the cat continue suffering. After hunting down a pair of tiny forceps and happening on the kitten again, Ho painstakingly picked out her countless fleas out one by one.  He eventually met a local resident who said the kitten’s mother had died, leaving her litter unprotected — with at least one baby having already died. “I told myself that if I didn’t look after her, she’d turn out like her brothers and sisters.”

https://www.facebook.com/hobbyadventureclub/photos/pcb.1435945163132020/1435943159798887/?type=3&theater

The big-hearted backpacker snuck the kitten into his hotel room in his jacket, gave her water and a soft towel to sleep on, and began figuring out the mechanics of cycling across the desert with a tiny furry stowaway. “Even though I saved her life, she saved my soul. It’s been a lonely road for me. Although I’ve been working towards my goal, I’ve felt an inexplicable sense of emptiness; loneliness.”

https://www.facebook.com/hobbyadventureclub/photos/pcb.1435945163132020/1435943276465542/?type=3&theater

Despite stating that he’d always “had reservations” about fate and destiny, Ho believes he was meant to extend his stay in Dhaklar. “Over three days, our paths crossed three times at three different places. Fate put me here and she chose me, all so I could help her.” With that in mind, Ho has dubbed his new companion “Life”, because she “fought to stay alive in harsh conditions and never gave up”.

There’s a long road ahead for Ho and Life, as the cat is still under one month old and unable to receive vaccinations or fly yet. The brave young Hongkonger isn’t deterred, however. In a video update, Ho said, “We’ll figure it out. I’ll stay longer and keep looking after her here until she’s ready to come home.”



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