There are some moments in life that quietly divide everything into before and after.

Finding Mochi was one of those moments for me.

He was so tiny, so vulnerable, and so completely unprepared for the world that my heart broke the second I realized he had been abandoned. I didn’t have everything figured out. I didn’t have some perfect rescue plan. What I had was a deep panic that hi might not make it without help, and a sudden, overwhelming need to protect him.

That first year with Mochi was emotional in every possible was. it was exhausting, scary, heartwarming, chaotic, and full of little victories that felt huge at the time.

This is the story of rescuing him, learning how to care for him, and watching him grow into a deeply loved part of my life.

The Night I Found Mochi

It wasn’t even daytime when Mochi came into my life, it was sometime around 3 a.m., during what was supposed to be nothing more than a casual night out.

I was at one of my old coworker’s houses, sitting around with a few of the girls, talking, laughing, and having drinks. it was one of those typical ladies’ nights where time kind of disappears and everything feels a little lighter for a while.

At some point, my coworker’s sister-in-law joined us, and the conversation shifted. She started telling us about a stray cat that kept coming into her backyard, over and over again, just to have her kittens… and then leave them behind.

Every time.

She would come back pregnant, give birth in the backyard, and then disappear again. And slowly, her yard kept filling up with kittens that didn’t have anyone to take care of them.

Some of them didn’t make it.

She told us about the frogs in her yard, how they were poisonous, and how some of the kittens had gotten sick, foaming at the mouth, and passing away before she could help them. She had tried to take some to shelter, but life isn’t always that simple. Being a mom, having responsibilities, trying to juggle everything… it wasn’t easy.

And sitting there, listening to her, my heart just sank.

At the same time, I couldn’t ignore this quiet feeling I had been carrying for a while, the kind that sneaks up on you when your kids start growing up. My boys are teenagers now. They don’t really want to hang out with mom, no longer being “cool” and all, and the house had started to feel… a little too quiet.

So somewhere between heartbreak and that empty feeling, I said it:

“I’ll take one!”

One of the girls laughed a little and asked me, “You’re really going to raise a kitten?”

And without even thinking, I said,

“I need a baby! Let me have a baby!”

And I meant it.

So later that night, or early morning, really- we went to her house so I could see them.

There were several kittens, all tiny, all adorable… and choosing just one felt almost impossible. I wish I could have taken more, but with my apartment’s pet limit, I had to make a choice.

And then there was him.

While the others were scattered around, he was completely focused on the food she had set out, just happily eating like nothing else mattered. When I picked him up, something shifted. Instead of squirming or trying to get away, he relaxed.

He got comfortable.

And then, in my arms, he started to doze off. That was it. That was the moment I knew. Out of all of them… he was the one.

So at 3 a.m., and yes, slightly under the influence of a few drinks, I made one of the most unexpected decisions of my life. I took him home. And that night, without fully realizing it yet, everything changed.

The First Night (and Everything I Didn’t Have)

When I brought Mochi home that night, I had absolutely nothing ready.

No food.

No litter.

No litter box.

No toys.

Nothing.

And that’s when the panic set in.

He was only about four or five weeks old, so tiny you could feel how fragile he was, and I suddenly realized I had no idea what I was doing.

So at 3 a.m., I did what most of us do when we’re overwhelmed and desperate for answers…

I started googling everything.

I grabbed a cardboard box, cut it down so he could climb in and out, and shredded up newspaper to use as a makeshift litter box. Then I grabbed another box, lined it with a blanket, and added a couple of small plushies so he wouldn’t feel completely alone.

My bed was on the floor at the time, so that first night… he just slept beside me.

And somehow, he didn’t even move.

The next morning, reality hit me hard.

I woke up and immediately knew I had to figure things out, fast. I started researching everything I could: what kittens his age needed, what to feed him, how to care for him, what I was missing… which, at that point, felt like everything.

I had my sons watch him while I rushed to the store and grabbed whatever I could:

• A litter box and litter
• Pee Pads
• Wet kitten food
• Kitten milk and a bottle
• A few small toys

It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.

Those first few days?

They were rough.

Mochi was peeing everywhere. Sometimes on the pee pads… Sometimes not even close to them. At one point, I had pee pads covering almost my entire bedroom floor just trying to manage everything.

and cleaning it?

That was a whole other challenge.

I didn’t have a carpet cleaner or any pet cleaning sprays at the time, so I was scrubbing everything by hand with hot water, vinegar, and baking soda. It would take me hours.

I was exhausted.

Stressed.

Overwhelmed.

I tried closing off part of the room to make things easier. But Mochi didn’t want space. He wanted me. He would cry, jump, and everything he could to get close to me. And hearing that at night… It was heartbreaking.

Potty training became a full-time job.

Every time he ate -> litter box

Every time he woke up -> litter box

Over and over again. It wasn’t glamorous, but eventually, it worked.

Feeding him was another challenge.

He loved wet food, but getting him to drink water or kitten milk was hard. The bottle I bought didn’t even last one use.

So I adapted.

I mixed kitten milk and water into his food to keep him hydrated.

The Challenges We Didn’t Expect

Just when I felt like I was starting to understand things, something new would come up.

Mochi had fleas.

And because he was so young, I couldn’t use normal flea treatments. So I handled it the hard way, daily brushing, carefully picking them off, and weekly baths.

At the same time, I was treating my entire space, cleaning constantly and doing everything I could to get rid of them.

It wasn’t easy… but we got through it.

Then came training.

I saw a video about training cats and thought I’d try, and surprisingly, Mochi learned fast. He learned how to sit. Spin. Follow me using a clicking sound. Even now, he still responds to it.

There were things I never thought I’d have to teach a kitten.

Like how to clean himself.

I used pet wipes and made soft sounds to mimic what he should’ve learned, and eventually… he figured it out.

He also refused to eat from bowls. So I switched to flat plates, and that worked instantly. Water took time too. I had to guide him slowly, helping him learn how to drink. Everything with him was a process.

Nothing came easy.

And then there was his playfulness. He wanted to attack everything. Teaching him boundaries took patience, but over time, he started to understand.

What Helped me Though Mochi’s First Year

If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that love keeps you going, but the right tools make everything easier. I didn’t have much at first, and I had to figure things out the hard way. But over time, I found things that truly helped.

(I’ll be sharing my go-to kitten essentials here soon for anyone going through something similar.)

One Year Later: Mochi Now

Mochi’s first year was messy, emotional, exhausting… and one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve ever had.

We learned everything together.

And now?

He’s the most loving, gentle (and slightly spoiled) little cat. He still follows me everywhere. He still wants to be close to me all the time. And yes… he’s a little protective of me too.

My family says I spoil him too much.

Maybe I do.

But after everything we went through together…

how could I not?

I didn’t have everything figured out when I brought him home. What I had was the willingness to try, to learn, and to not give up. And I think that’s what mattered most.

Mochi may have started as a tiny abandoned kitten, but somewhere along the way…

he became my baby.

And honestly?

I think he rescued me too.