Mochi is a munchkin cat that originally hails from China and was brought over to the United States. Unfortunately, due to her ischemic dermatopathy condition, some parts of her body, including her ears, tail, and right hind leg, have deteriorated. Moving to Boston to live with a new family, Mochi’s severe health problems posed too much of a challenge for her former owners. Luckily, MSPCA-Angell, an exceptional rescue shelter, took her in.
Despite her missing body parts and ongoing health struggles, Mochi found a loving home with Greg and his fiancée, Natalia, who reside in Boston and have a deep admiration for animals. Though both grew up around pets, Mochi is their first animal companion together, and they have warmly embraced her despite her physical challenges.
Additional details about Mochi can be found on Instagram and TikTok.
According to Greg McDouglas, the new owner of Mochi, Bored Panda got in touch with him to learn more about the rescued kitty’s background. Mochi was born in China as a munchkin kitten and later purchased by a family in Boston. However, she soon developed a strange ailment that caused necrosis, leading her previous owners to surrender her to MSPCA-Angell, a rescue shelter. Sadly, Mochi’s condition had already advanced significantly, and the doctors had to amputate one of her hind legs, both ears, and her tail. On top of that, she also contracted ringworm.
The previous owners of the furry creature decided to give her up and entrusted her to MSPCA-Angell, a rescue shelter known for their ability to provide comprehensive care.
After two months of being under the care of shelter doctors, Mochi made a full recovery. Despite being isolated during her recovery, she was finally listed for adoption at the shelter. Luckily, Natalia, my animal-loving fiancée, spotted her listing and immediately applied to adopt her. We were thrilled when the shelter contacted us the next day to inform us that we were chosen to be Mochi’s new owners. Although I tried to remain composed and suggested meeting her first, our visit to the shelter the following day instantly won our hearts over. Mochi has been with us for just over two months now since January 22nd, 2023. Unfortunately, Mochi’s condition was so severe that the doctors had to amputate one of her hind legs, both ears, and her tail.
The doctors at the shelter took care of her for a span of two months, during which she was kept in isolation.
After learning about Mochi’s background, we became curious about her personality and daily routine in her new home. According to Greg, Mochi is an incredibly sweet and lively cat who enjoys playing games such as hide and seek around the house. She expresses herself with a variety of vocalizations, including meows, chirps, and squeaks. Mochi is also very affectionate and loves receiving belly rubs, head scratches, and sleeping on Natalia’s head at night. She craves attention and enjoys meeting new people, showing no fear as she explores her surroundings with curiosity. It’s clear that Mochi has brought a lot of joy and love into Greg and Natalia’s lives since they adopted her, making it one of the best decisions they’ve ever made.
After receiving the necessary care, the shelter made the decision to put her up for adoption.
When asked about Mochi’s health condition, Greg assured that they are optimistic about her living a long and happy life. However, they do need to be cautious with her due to certain factors. One of which is that Mochi cannot receive vaccines because her initial illness may have been caused by a reaction to it. Another thing they have to be mindful of is her weight since she only has three legs instead of four. Mochi was just under 2.5 pounds when they adopted her, but now she weighs over 4 pounds due to her big appetite. They also have to be careful when cleaning debris out of the little part of her ears that she still has. Despite these precautions, Mochi is healthy and full of energy as confirmed by her recent veterinary appointment. Natalia and Greg immediately applied to adopt Mochi when they saw her listing.
The next day, the shelter reached out to them and shared the good news that they were selected to give Mochi a new home.
Our curiosity piqued when we heard the adorable name “Mochi” and asked its origins. According to her owners, they named her after the sweet Japanese treat because of her resemblance to a vanilla mochi ice cream ball. However, others have compared her to various other creatures, including an owl, seal, otter, cloud, potato, and ferret. Regardless, everyone agrees that she is a stunningly beautiful creature. The couple who met Mochi the following day quickly fell under her spell and fell in love with her.
We were curious about how Mochi’s health issues affected her daily routine, so we asked Greg to shed some light on the matter. According to him, they try to keep Mochi’s day-to-day activities as relaxing as possible to avoid triggering any autoimmune reactions. She isn’t allowed to go outside, but she has free reign of their home. Mochi usually sleeps with Greg and his partner or in a small cat bed close by. Surprisingly, she doesn’t make much noise throughout the night. They usually spend some time playing with her in the morning after she’s eaten since that’s when she has the most energy. When Mochi is in the mood to play, she’ll meow at them and try to get them to play hide and seek. Despite her health issues, Mochi is an adorable and lively kitten who loves playing games around the house.
As Greg talked about his furry friend’s daily routine, he mentioned how she enjoys playing games with them. Whenever they try to get closer to her, she would run away and hide behind a corner, only to peek out and see if they are following her. If they chase after her, she would do the same thing repeatedly until she gets tired and finally flops down on her back for some belly rubs. She loves it when they scratch her head and lick their hands, and she can nap anywhere inside the house. Her favorite activity is chasing the laser pointer and running up and down the stairs as fast as she can. However, she sometimes struggles to run in a straight line, so she moves around like a snake. Watching TV with her owners is also one of her favorite activities, and she always enjoys eating her wet food.
She loves to be showered with affection and finds joy in receiving chin scratches and belly rubs.
We inquired about any unique care that might be necessary for the cat, given her medical background. The owner happily replied that, other than a few precautions already mentioned, there isn’t much additional care required on a daily basis. The cat behaves like any other feline and seems to be unaware of her missing limbs. She enjoys climbing onto furniture, including the couch, chairs, and bed, and even likes sleeping on Natalia’s head at night!
Mochi, the adorable pet, has turned 8 months old and her new owners say that she resembles a sweet vanilla mochi ice cream ball.
After Mochi’s story garnered attention online, we reached out to Greg and Natalia to ask them about the experience of being the owners of this internet-famous cat. According to Greg, they take pleasure in sharing Mochi’s incredible tale as it serves as an inspiration. Despite having experienced several setbacks, including a long flight from China and a tw
