It's true that cats find the most unusual ways to enter our lives. One particularly unique case is that of Marmy—short for Orange Marmalade—an orange cat who simply started appearing near this couple's house.
Ariel and her husband bought their home in 2018, and since then, they had been caring for Marmy as he became a frequent visitor. For six years, they built a bond with him outside the house. However, one day, Marmy needed extra help from his beloved human neighbors when something got stuck in his eye. After taking him to the vet, Ariel and her husband had to care for him until he recovered—and during that time, he suddenly became a house cat.
Fast forward to today, Ariel is happy to finally say that Marmy is her cat, and he has completely adapted to the sweet home life.
Meet Marmy, the stray cat who took six years to fully warm up to a family and become a house cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
In 2018, Ariel and her husband bought a house, but what they didn’t know was that it came with an orange cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
Marmy was often lurking around the property to the point where Ariel started to care for him
Image credits: marmy.cat
Soon, Ariel took it upon herself to feed him and make shelters around the house, gradually gaining his trust
Image credits: marmy.cat
Bored Panda reached out to Ariel, who shared more about their slow-burn relationship with Marmy.
“Marmy is the king of mixed signals! I don't think I actually realized he wanted to be my cat from the beginning until about a month or so into having him indoors.”
Image credits: marmy.cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
“In the beginning, it took a really long time for Marmy to approach me and let me pet him,” Ariel shared
Image credits: marmy.cat
Ariel finally mustered the courage to pet him—while wearing a glove, just in case he bit
Image credits: marmy.cat
But Marmy was ready to receive the love
Image credits: marmy.cat
“Once he was comfortable, he LOVED being pet and acted super lovey. He had boundaries, though, and if you crossed them, it took a long time for things to go back to how they were.
For example, one day, it seemed like he wanted me to pick him up, so I went for it. That was definitely not what he wanted, and it resulted in many months of me having to work to build his trust up again and get back to where we had been.
I wanted desperately for him to want to come inside and stay, but it never worked. I would leave the door open, I'd trail treats inside, and I'd put his food dish inside.
I wanted desperately for him to want to come inside and stay, but it never worked. I would leave the door open, I'd trail treats inside, and I'd put his food dish inside.
Each time, he would come in a few steps, eat a bite or two, and then head right back outside to chill on the deck. It really wasn't until he had adjusted to indoor life and turned into my little shadow that I realized he had wanted to be mine. Or at least that he had accepted his new reality.”
Image credits: marmy.cat
Everything suddenly changed when Marmy showed up squinting in pain, struggling with an injured eye
Image credits: marmy.cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
Worried, the couple decided to trap him and take him to the vet
Image credits: marmy.cat
Ariel told us more about the experience when Marmy finally was inside her home due to the eye problem.
“I was a little overwhelmed and nervous at first, I'm not going to lie. I was so glad my husband and I were able to catch him and get him the medical attention he needed, but I knew we were in for a long road to recovery.”
The vet removed a foxweed that had become lodged in his eye, but the recovery process was long
Image credits: marmy.cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
“I didn't know how he was going to handle so much change all at once—being inside, wearing a cone, and letting us administer eye drops and medication,” Ariel wrote
Image credits: marmy.cat
“After making it through the first day and night and seeing that he was just kind of chilling and not tearing the room apart or freaking out, I felt relieved. This also took place right before we were about to leave on vacation, so there were many times I felt like we were in over our heads.
Luckily, my mom was able to stay at our house and care for him while we were away. After the first few weeks, It was truly a dream come true to have him in my home and seeming happy about it!”
It turned out that Marmy was already blind in one eye, and now his only good eye had been injured. With this in mind, Ariel and her husband knew it was time to officially adopt him
Image credits: marmy.cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
To Ariel’s surprise, Marmy adapted quickly to indoor life, proving to be a relaxed and affectionate house cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
Adjusting to a new life can be challenging for a cat who most of its life lived outside, therefore, we asked if they had any unexpected challenges when the switch happened.
Ariel wrote: “His transition to indoors was a lot less difficult than I imagined, and I think that was because of a few things - he was familiar with my husband and I, he was injured and needed help, he had a cone on, and was on Gabapentin.
He did surprisingly well with his eye drops, though this did become more challenging after he got his cone off. In terms of litter box training, on the first day, I picked him up and placed him inside so he could feel the litter under his paws. He picked that up right away and has only had a few incidents outside of the box.”
Image credits: marmy.cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
However, some adjustments took time. “I will say even now that it's been about 7 months, he is still adjusting to certain noises, movements, and people,” explained Ariel
Image credits: marmy.cat
“He didn't work up the courage to explore the house beyond the upstairs level until about 5 months in.”
“He is scared of noises like the vacuum, thunder, the garbage truck, and doorbells”
Image credits: marmy.cat
“And when people come over, he hides until they leave.”
But other than that, Marmy is loving his new life and follows Ariel everywhere, demanding pets and attention
Image credits: marmy.cat
Lastly, Ariel shared what surprised her the most about Marmy's personality after he became an indoor cat.
“Outside, he was definitely an alpha. He ruled the field behind my house, and if there were ever other cats around, they were totally scared of him.
Inside, he's a completely different cat! He is incredibly lovey, though sometimes feisty, and gets very excited when I approach him. He's constantly meowing when he enters the room like he wants to make sure I know he's there.
He is super playful, curious, is fascinated by the TV, and is very motivated by food and treats. He's not a lap cat and still does not like to be picked up, but he does like laying next to me or sitting near me while I'm working or doing other things.”
Image credits: marmy.cat
Image credits: marmy.cat
Ariel and her husband spent years building a relationship with Marmy before he finally felt at ease indoors. Their efforts mirror the inspiring journey of Mig and Toup, where Mig took patient steps to acclimate a previously feral cat to indoor life.
If you're curious to understand more about the intricacies involved in transitioning a stray to a cozy companion, delve into this heartwarming narrative about the special bond formed between Mig and Toup.