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On a quiet day in rural Arizona, Allison Thomison’s deaf Pit Bull, Evie, became unusually fixated on a broken-down truck parked on their 300-acre farm. Given the farm’s location, Thomison was used to Evie reacting to local wildlife like rattlesnakes or lizards. But this time, Evie’s intense stare turned out to be something else altogether.
As Thomison got closer to investigate, she realized what had captured Evie’s attention. Peeking out from inside the truck’s front grill, where the headlight would normally sit, was the tiny face of a kitten. To her surprise, she recognized him immediately. A few weeks earlier, she had seen this same kitten tailing her own cat, Noodle, who bore a striking resemblance to the little intruder.
Though Noodle was a neutered male, Thomison couldn’t help but wonder if the likeness was more than a coincidence. She decided to name the kitten “Mini-Me.” Shortly after that first sighting, however, the kitten had disappeared—until now.
The truck, missing its engine for repairs, had plenty of space for a small animal to crawl inside. But getting Mini-Me out wasn’t easy. At first, the kitten wanted nothing to do with Thomison and made his reluctance clear.
“He was very spicy,” Thomison told The Dodo. “Then he suddenly realized that we were there to help him and we weren’t going to hurt him, so he came out.”
Mini-Me eventually warmed up and now calls the farm his permanent home. Thomison noted that while he’s a bit mischievous, he’s settled in well with her other three cats. The irony, she says, is that despite Evie being the one who found him, Mini-Me doesn’t seem particularly grateful.
“He swipes at Evie every chance he gets,” she said with a laugh.
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Now comfortably ensconced in farm life, Mini-Me has his own space in the air-conditioned barn, but his favorite hangout spot remains in the truck where he was found. “He prefers his truck. He’s kind of like Oscar the Grouch [with] his little trash can … he just loves being in there,” Thomison said. Thanks to Evie’s instincts and some gentle coaxing, Mini-Me now enjoys the comforts of a safe home—on his own terms.
Watch the video of Mini-Me’s discovery here:
