Iranian Cat Finds Better Life in San Francisco

Maloos in his native Iran

If anything is going to help thaw the icy relations between the U.S. and Iran, it's going to be a damn cute cat.

Both the people of America (specifically San Francisco) and Iran have set aside politics to help save this deeply troubled cat named Maloos -- who, when you think about it, is a Persian cat of a different sort. 

Here's the back story: It was just like any other Tuesday in Tehran (we can only imagine), and a woman named Sarah, who is an active member of the Sayeh Animal Guardians, got a phone call from another woman, who said that there was a cat on her street "unable to move, as if it's stuck to the pavement."

When Sarah arrived she found a small orange tabby and white cat, soaked with gasoline and mud, and covered with wounds and abscesses. He had been shot in the face and was unable to move.

So Sarah took him with her, and named him Maloos, which means "very cute/lovable."
 
After cleaning the poor cat as best she could, Sarah sent Maloos on a journey like many refugees': The cat boarded a plane for America, where he will no doubt have a better life. 

She arranged for the battered feline to fly nearly 8,000 miles over 20 hours from Tehran to San Francisco, escorted by a passenger. Upon landing in the Golden State, Maloos was dropped off at the San Francisco Animal Care & Control, where vets are attempting to give him the medical attention and a home he deserves.

Maloos with dual citizenship

Veterinarians believe that Maloos was born with congenital deformities in his hips and legs, causing him to drag his backside along the streets of Tehran. He also has shrapnel embedded near his eye. Vets attempted to save his left hind leg, but were forced to amputate due to infection. This means he may need an animal wheelchair.

The good news is that Maloos appears to be doing well, despite his injuries and jetlag.

ACC staff are evaluating his health and determining what kind of care he will need, should someone want to adopt him. According to staff, Maloos is getting along well with his American friends, and he loves to play.

Maloos isn't the only foreign feline at the city shelter. ACC reports that it has a United Nations of cats there, including a cat that was found in Hayes Valley with a microchip tracing back to Romania.

If you are interested in bringing Maloos home, or kicking in some money for his medical needs, please visit www.helpacc.org.

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