Rescue Stories - Sly Pie: He Found His Way to the Other Side of the Glass

Hello, and Happy Friday! We are so excited to bring you a very special rescue story today. It's not only our last story for 2020, but it's the story of one of our great friends, Sly Pie of Chirpy Cats. We're sure you'll love reading how Sly found his way from watching a cat family through their window to being welcomed into their home with open paws. So, without further ado, we introduce you to Sly Pie. 

Lola

A Tuxedo Cat Rescued From the Blue Box in the Snow

A Dark and Cold World

He was a little fellow, a tiny black and white cat, shorter than his assailants. “Don’t come back, kid! I will bite another chunk out of those masked cheeks!” it growled.

“Yes, scram, Batman!” hissed the amply built ginger cat with the scar on his left ear and tomcat cheeks so large, it looked like they were about to explode.

The black and white cat froze. His round, black-masked face slunk to the ground, and he wished he were invisible. Acting brave, he scowled back at them through slit eyes, but his mind was racing for a swift escape. He ran as fast as his short stubby legs could carry him to a place he called home, for now. His secret hideaway, a blue box under a balcony that shielded him from those frozen white winter pieces. Here he felt safe, away from the band of cats that seemed hell-bent on raking him to death. He licked his wounded paw and just sat inside his cave on a pile of leaves, wondering when he would eat again. There was a scarcity of mice near his safe house and he would soon have to leave in search of food, having to face White Scar, the vicious cat that threatened him to never return.

He persevered but dreamed of escaping this dark and inhospitable world. Why is it so cold? Would these winter flakes fall until eternity? He pondered. Is he destined to sleep with one eye open and having to fight for his next meal? Running from danger is not something he chooses to document forever in his daily journal of life. This was only his second winter, and he vowed that it would be his last one alone. He’s long since forgotten his mother or siblings and may have had a home before, but it was a murky memory. It doesn’t matter, all he yearns for now is a forever home. And what keeps his flame alive was that ray of hope he had encountered weeks before.

The Break-in at Chirpy Cats' Lair

This was the night he broke into the humans’ house through an open window close to his blue box hideout. A pleasant wave of heat enveloped him as he trailed through the hallway and down to the basement. How tempting it was to hang around longer, but he sensed other cats living there and he did not have the energy or the inclination for another altercation. He came face to face with the human with long hair for the first time. 

Breaking into the catio.

She called after him, but he ran back outside through the cat flap. Curiosity stopped him in his tracks and he wanted to get a closer look at her. So he sat on the steps of the entrance, his head tilted with just enough light to catch his masked face. He stared into her gaze with wide bold eyes, unafraid and asking a thousand questions.

Do you know I live in a box nearby?

Do you have any food?

Will you let me stay?

Have you seen me before?

But she spoke to him in a soft and familiar tone. He was almost certain it was a greeting, much like the chirrup sound his mother used to make when calling him as a kitten. He wanted to stay and ask for a bowl of food, but he shrugged off that silly thought. And he remembered now that he had a home for a brief time long ago, but his people deserted him when they moved. He scampered off into the night through the broken screened roof and ran back to his cave. It was not as warm and comforting as the feeling he got from his fleeting moment with the human, but he knew his box would never disappoint or abandon him.

The Other Side of the Glass Door

One morning he explored the territory above his hideout. Perhaps he would catch a mouse or two if he was more adventurous. He climbed a few steps onto the deck above and he stumbled upon the strangest vision, a gang of cats inside a large glass door just staring back out at him. It looked bright and warm and inviting behind that glass. He sat and stared at them, with his paw lifted off the ground because it still hurt from the fights with White Scar’s gang. But these cats beyond the glass didn’t hiss at him at all. Instead, they sized him up, wondering who the masked vagabond was outside. One of them spoke.

“We’ve seen you lurking about in the catio, we know what you did.” said the gray cat.
Shocked that it wasn’t an insult to “Beat it Batman!” and a little embarrassed that his escapade was no secret, strolling into their lair that night and into the house as if he belonged there, he stuttered and said:

“I… uh... I’m sorry, I was only looking for somewhere to stay and they were chasing me. What’s a c-catio?” he asked.

“It extends our home base, a place where we safely explore the outdoors in our cat kingdom. I’m Mr. Jack and I rule the Chirpy Cats Lair,” said Mr. Jack with pride and gumption.

In his most courteous manner the Mask asked, “But Sir, if I may, how do I get to the other side of the glass where you are?” He half expected to be scolded for his insolence but Mr. Jack leaned in closer with his large whiskers touching the glass and after a few thoughtful seconds he muttered, “It’s not up to us, kiddo. We’re a bunch of rescues and were once in your position, and the humans aren’t adopting more, there’s nine of us living here. But if your heart yearns for something that seems out of reach, you will find a way.”

Something in his tone gave the Mask some hope. It was not a direct invitation but a brief flicker of optimism that made his heart race with delight and he purred at the notion of living there. He leaned closer to the glass and lingered longer to watch the cats, his eyes fixated at this fascinating window into their world.

Paw Prints in the Snow

The human with the long hair wondered where the masked face had run off to that night. And here he was again, peering inside with his paw raised. It was cold and snowing and she didn’t think he should be outside in that weather at -20 degrees celsius. And why was he holding up his paw, she wondered? After feeding the cats, she ventured outside with some kibble in a saucer. As she approached, he darted off leaving behind the distinctive cat paw prints in the snow they observed sometimes. But then she crouched low to the ground, slow-blinked at him, and called him with soft chirrupy cat sounds. Cautiously, he came running back, taking a few quick steps at a time, until he reached the bowl and ate every morsel.


After that day, they often heard his chirpy meows announcing his presence. They wondered if he was calling for them or the cats. He always showed up after a snowstorm and would sprawl out on the deck as if he lived there, soaking up the winter sun puddles. On some days, they noticed a black and white figure in the distance, climbing over the catio tunnels, his distinctive little capri pants always visible from afar. They had since repaired the hole in the catio screen where he had broken into a few times. But he still made his rounds most days just to watch the cats from outside the catio. Upon closer inspection, seeing him through the glass door, his paws looked rough, weather-beaten, and dirty. By now she was sure he was a homeless cat and they hatched a plan to trap him, get him neutered, and find him a home. Adopting another cat into their large multi-cat family was not a wise thing to do. If it were up to her husband, he would adopt every cat that comes to visit!


But just as suddenly as he would appear out of nowhere, he would stay away for days. And for an entire week, he had disappeared. The snowy landscape was smooth and untouched by capri pants paw prints, and they worried that he may lay injured somewhere or didn’t make it in these harsh winter temperatures.

If You Want Something Deeply Enough

Meanwhile, the Mask was hiding in his blue box. He ventured out the night before and White Scar attacked him again, this time with a deep gash to his throat. He felt dizzy and weak from exhaustion, and sat there motionless, daydreaming about being scooped up by the human who slow-blinked at him. Why did he leave that night? The Chirpy Cats were amicable, and surely they could work out any territorial issues if they arose? He didn’t have to perish alone here; he thought to himself. He was purring loudly to soothe his pain, and he recalled what Mr. Jack had said: “if you want something badly, you will find a way.”

He wanted to live, and he wished to be part of their Kingdom. With every fiber of his little being, he gathered up the strength to climb up the deck towards the glass door, hoping they would see him and rescue him.

“Where were you all this time, you little scoundrel?!” she exclaimed.

She noticed the wound in his throat. And within moments he found himself wrapped in a warm blanket in a cage and then he was in a place with strange smells and people looking over him, poking him. But he didn’t resist or make a peep. He knew that they were helping him because he felt better. He spent a while in a newly erected cage in a heated garage with the two humans tending to his wounds and administering his medicine.

Did this mean what he thinks it does? Did they rescue him? Mr. Jack had said that the humans were not adopting any more cats. Are they going to release him again? But his doubt turned to excitement when they presented him with all the different cats’ scents on soft plush toys. He could identify almost all the scents since he had already made their acquaintances out in the catio prior to his capture.

Within the next few weeks, the little masked face soon came to know that the humans officially adopted him and he was part of the Chirpy Cat’s house. Mr. Jack, the social facilitator was the first to groom him and as he clasped him firmly by the neck with his gray puffy paws, he chirped in his ear “Welcome to the Chirpy Cats Kingdom, kiddo, you made it! And don’t mind George, he hisses at everyone.”

Sly Pie in his forever home in the Chirpy Cats catio garden

Sly Pie, as they named him, scratched his joy on the scratching post, then skidded across the kitchen tiles in pursuit of a catnip ball. He pounced again and went flying against the glass door, bumping his head. He shook his head and sat upright, and in somber silence he gazed out at a poignantly familiar scene, watching the white flakes falling on the other side of the glass.

Later that Spring after most of the snow had melted, the humans discovered the blue plastic storage box under their terrace. They meant to recycle it in the Fall, but they had forgotten it there.

They smiled and realized Sly Pie was home long before they rescued him that day.

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You can follow the adventures of Sly Pie and his fur siblings at Chirpy Cats. 

Sly lives in Canada with cat mom, Yasaar Nakchbendi, award-winning blogger and owner of chirpycats.com. Sly also shares his home with eight furry housemates, and cat dad Kevin.

Don't forget to check out the rest of our Rescue Stories in case you've missed any. If you'd like to submit your story, please email us at LolaTheRescuedCat@gmail.com.