#20. Pets Are Man's Best Friend
Every pet lover knows that the number one rule of owning a furry (or maybe not furry for you reptile lovers out there) animal is that you need to take care of them like your own children. They need to be nurtured, loved and taken care of and in return, you'll receive unconditional loyalty.
If you've had a close pet before, then you know that the feeling of comfort you get from an animal is completely different and unique to that from another human. Animals understand us in a way that only they can and that is why they are the ideal life companions. However, sometimes having a pet can be an issue. But while landowners usually have strict rules when it comes to pets, some of them are a lot more lenient...
#19. Safe Travels
The landlady in our story had a tenant that happened to be an avid traveler and businessman. He had recently come back from Czech Republic after traveling there for some business duties. While it was busy trip, that didn't stop him from doing some tourism.
The man, who was originally from Germany, found his way to a curious pet shop. There, he fell in love with a feline that looked like a kitty. Overwhelmed with the connection he made with the animal, he asked the owner if he could adopt the beautiful cat. Fortunately for him, the kitty was for sale, so the man bought a cage along with his new pet and headed home.
#18. Everybody Wants A Souvenir
We can all relate to how the businessman wanted a souvenir. Probably one of the things we look forward to the most as our trip is coming to an end is making sure that we have something from our travel that will remind us of those blissful days of freedom. The German man was like any of us.
The man in our story was determined to find a unique souvenir and after going to several places and looking at all sorts of trinkets, he knew that there must be something more exciting out there, and boy was he right. Stumbling into that curious pet shop awarded him the souvenir he had been searching for for so long.
#17. Just A Kitten
Getting back home took some time. The businessman was rather tired and all he wanted to do was get to home and relax. On his way home, he took a cab directly to his apartment. The cab driver however was rather curious about what could possibly be in that cage.
As the cab driver hauled the man's luggage and cage into the trunk, the man replied saying that he had just bought a kitten from Czech. The driver didn't find anything off with this and happily delivered the German home. Yet again, the man found another person curious about his cage, and this time it was his landlady.
#16. The Landlady
The landlady was not too strict when it came to pets. After all, she understood the importance of the bond that an owner forms with their companion. So when she saw the man carrying a cage, she got curious about and inquired what was in it.
The man casually said it was a kitten, but the landlady had her doubts. Even though she didn't say anything at the moment, she just couldn't believe that a kitten would require such a large cage. She kept quiet and instead decided to keep an eye on that new pet that her tenant had brought home.
#15. Tikam
Excited to make his new pet feel at home, the man made sure to prepare a bed for the kitten. He made this inside the bathroom and then proceeded to add some cat food in a plate as well as some water for the kitten to eat and drink.
Much like any animal reacts to new surroundings, the feline walked around the space, sniffed the floor and toilet, and then finally laid down. While initially scared, it seemed that the kitten had been able to familiarize itself with the new environment. The man was delighted, he named his new pet Tikam and didn't think too much about the fact that he was slightly larger than normal kittens.
#14. An Interesting Kitten
The landlady on the other hand, had a weird feeling about Tikam. It just didn't look anything like the kittens or cats she had seen before. The tenant however argued that Tikam was a bit different because he was a unique crossbreed.
While that argument made her nerves calm down a little bit, there seemed to be something that wasn't fully making sense about the whole large kitten situation. But while she was skeptical about it, that didn't stop her from falling in love with Tikam. The feline had beautiful eyes and ears.
#13. That Doesn't Look Right
Since the landlady had an extra pair of keys, she would sometimes check in and feed Tikam. But week after week, she noticed just about how large the cat was getting. She desperately wanted to call some sort of authority, but she knew that it would be hard to convince anybody of the scenario, especially because the feline wasn't hers.
The landlady tried asking her tenant whether he should take Tikam to the vet just to check everything was alright. But he replied by saying Tikam was just a prominent cross breed and that there was no need to worry because he was harmless. Once again, the landlady remained quiet yet concerned.
#12. Those Are Big Scratches
Finally, one morning, the landlady heard some interesting noises coming from the man's apartment. It was some sort of grunting and a lot of scratching. Curious and worried, she grabbed her spare keys and opened the door to the German man's apartment and she was shocked at the sight.
In the apartment, she saw Tikam destroying practically every piece of furniture. The room was a mess, racks had been thrown all around, the television was broken, and shards of vases were on the table. Furious, she called Tikam's owner, but to her annoyance, he was on a trip. The man begged her not to call animal rescue services, but the lady had had enough.
#11. Enough Is Enough
One last time, the landlady gave the man the chance to explain what type of cat Tikam was, but the man kept beating around the bush and coming up with a new lie. The lady was tired and said that it was time for her to do what was right for the animal.
The man kept apologizing and trying to convince the landlady that there was no reason to call anybody. He said that he was sorry and that he would pay for all of the damage, as well as ensure that the incident was never repeated. But the lady didn't change her mind and went to find the animal rescue unit's number.
#10. The Animal Rescue Police
Ignoring the fact that she had no consent from Tikam's owner, the landlady called the animal rescue unit and informed them that there was an illegal exotic cat living in one of her tenant's apartment. The officers wanted more details regarding the issue and she had no problem in delivering all the information she knew.
The lady was very thorough with her explanation; she went from the day Tikam had set foot in the apartment unit to the scene of the feline destroying all the furniture. The officers saw that this was a problem that had to be dealt with and headed to the lady's address. There, she opened the door to Tikam's apartment.
#9. A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
When the landlady was explaining to the police officers that there was a tenant holding an exotic cat in their apartment, they thought she was crazy. They pressed for more questions because breaking into somebody's home without proper proof could cause them many issues.
But the landlady had enough proof; she pulled out her phone and showed the animal rescue officers a picture of the alleged cat. The rescue team took a few minutes to inspect the photograph and came to the conclusion that Tikam was no domestic cat.
#8. Caught
Since at this point in the story the man was already back home, the officers just knocked on the door and requested to see the feline. The man had to oblige and the animal rescue team took Tikam immediately. The man tried to convince them that he could prove that the "cat" was under great care.
But the rescue team was taking none of the man's lies. They gave him a firm warning that if he resisted against Tikam being taken away, he would suffer severe consequences. Left with no option to disagree, the man stepped aside and let the police unit take Tikam to a Veterinary Clinic to figure out what type of feline he was.
#7. Undoubtedly A Puma
Once the police made their way to the clinic, they had to fill out some forms and wait patiently until it was Tikam's turn to be examined. After close inspection of the feline's ears, nose, mouth, claws and eyes, the doctors determined that Tikam was a puma.
The doctors were perplexed, then asked a bunch of questions including how long Tikam had been living in an apartment for, what type of exercise he was getting, what was his daily diet and so on. Tikam, now known to be a puma (or a cougar), was just about two months old and about to get a lot bigger.
#6. Illegal Actions
While it was confirmed that animal trading was legal in Europe, the fact that the man didn't have the papers to export Tikam from Czech into Germany made his act illegal. However, the reason why he was able to get away with this was because he smuggled Tikam in his car.
The vaccination records didn't seem right and on top of that, authorities said that keeping Tikam in such a small space was definitely considered animal cruelty. The whole act of smuggling in a wild feline was extremely irresponsible and dangerous not just to the man himself but to his neighbors.
#5. The Crimes Pile Up
Tikam's being purchased in Czech wasn't illegal. After all, the wild cat cost around 2,300 Euros. But what made the situation violate the law was the lack of papers from the owner. furthermore, putting Tikam in a bathroom just about added another offense.
In the bathroom, Tikam wasn't offered much entertainment at all. The feline had to stay active with just a small rubber ball and even though he was brought out of the bathroom, he was never properly walked outside of the apartment.
#4. Doing The Right Thing
Lucky for Tikam, the landlady knew what the right thing to do was. Even though she had learned to love the feline deeply, she knew that it was time for him to go to a better and more suitable environment. According to research, while a baby puma might not seem menacing, once it reaches adulthood, the predatory instincts kick in.
So while one might think that the baby puma is suitable for an apartment given their somewhat docile behavior, they are completely mistaken to think that that's what it will be like throughout the animal's entire life. Puma's have the instinct to attack and kill, and no amount of human love will change that.
#3. Finally A Proper Home
Tikam needed to desperately exercise his legs. Pumas are great runners and sprinters much like cheetahs and keeping them in a bathroom apartment certainly doesn't let them move their bodies the way that they are supposed to be. Tikam was then taken to an exotic animal sanctuary for the doctors to re check him.
The vets there administered him a rabies vaccine and then proceeded to quarantine him for further inspection and observation. Once they were sure that Tikam was a healthy and happy baby puma, the plan was to integrate him to another group of pumas.
#2. Safe And Sound
While Tikam wasn't suitable to go back to the wild given he was separated at birth from his mother and forced to live in a breeding environment, the vets decided that what was best for Tikam was for him to be surrounded by fellow pumas that hadn't grown up in domesticated settings.
Tikam was then taken to a sanctuary where he would learn how to be a "real puma". This was critical because the feline would then learn the basics of his kind, such as how to run fast in the wild, how much to eat, how to hunt and how to live in a pack.
#.1 Among Friends
Finally, after a wild ride, Tikam was safe. He could grow and learn from his puma friends in the safety of the sanctuary and once ready, he would be released back into the wild, where he truly belongs. While the adjustment might be hard given Tikam was used to human beings, there's hope that he'll fit right in.
Even if it takes Tikam a while to get used to his new surroundings, being free and wild is what he was destined to be. The man was charged for his crimes, but he always maintained that he had no idea he had purchased a puma. Whatever the truth is, at least we know that Tikam is safe and will have a happy and healthy life.