The story of Pimpi

After my mom and sisters moved into a new apartment, my little sister found a cat curled up asleep on a motorcycle parked by the wall of a nearby complex. Curious and kind-hearted, she approached her, and to her surprise, the cat was incredibly friendly, purring and soaking up the affection.

She told me all about this sweet little one, and I sent her some money so she could buy food. From that moment on, my sister fed her whenever she could.

At the time, I was living in the Netherlands. But when I returned home to Portugal, I went with my sister to meet the cat myself. During one of our visits, a woman from the apartment complex shared the cat’s story with us, and it nearly brought us to tears.

She’s a sweet senior girl, and her story is heartbreaking. She once belonged to a Ukrainian family who lived in the apartment just above where the motorcycle is parked. When they moved away over six years ago, they left her behind. Still attached to her old home, she would often leap through the window when a new family moved in, trying to return to the only place she knew.

Eventually, a rescue organization took her in and placed her in a shelter. Sadly, no one adopted her. So, she was returned to the spot where she was found, because the local residents had continued to care for her all those years. They feed her, love her, and even placed food bowls just for her. And she’s still there.

Despite everything, she’s happy, playful, and endlessly affectionate—a living reminder of how love and resilience can bloom in the most unexpected places.

She lives in Faro, Portugal.