On the streets of Brooklyn, there lived a cat unlike any other. They called him Ham—not for his love of lunch meat, but for his theatrical antics that made capturing him nearly impossible.
While most feral kittens would dart away from human presence, Ham had a flair for the dramatic. He’d casually roll around just beyond reach of the traps set for him, performing what rescuers could only describe as an audition for “America’s Got Talent: Feline Edition.”
He’d saunter close, tease with possibility, then disappear into the urban wilderness like a magician completing his final act
Dana, a dedicated Brooklyn animal rescuer, knew Ham all too well. He was part of the colony that had first drawn her into rescue work—a calling that would eventually save dozens of cats from the harsh realities of street life.
Over three years, her team had successfully rescued 30 kittens, rehomed 18 adult cats, and humanely trapped, neutered, and returned 26 others to their outdoor homes.
It was meaningful work that transformed many lives, but Ham remained their elusive white whale.
“He’d come so close,” Dana shared with We Love Cats and Kittens. “He’d roll around near the trap, looking so carefree, then just walk away like he owned the entire borough.”
What Ham didn’t understand was that the trap represented not captivity, but salvation. Yet for a feral kitten whose every instinct screamed danger at human proximity, trust was a luxury he couldn’t afford.
With limited resources and so many other desperate cases, Dana made the difficult decision to focus elsewhere, though she never truly forgot about the charismatic escape artist who had eluded her efforts.
For two long years, Ham continued his independent lifestyle. Like someone who insists they’re perfectly content being single—until they’re suddenly not—Ham maintained his solitary existence. He was the king of his concrete domain, answering to no one and surviving by his wits alone.
But life on the streets exacts a cruel toll. The freedom Ham so fiercely guarded began to dim—quite literally—as his eyes grew cloudy and swollen.
The once-agile cat started bumping into objects, his deteriorating vision making hunting nearly impossible. The street-smart survivor was now struggling just to make it through each day.
Dana and her team never stopped looking out for the cats in that colony. When they spotted Ham again, his condition broke their hearts. This time, there was no playful rolling, no theatrical displays.
When they set the trap, Ham lacked the energy and vision to avoid it. The master escape artist had finally been caught, not by superior strategy, but by the cruel hand of necessity.
“When he turned up with bulging and swollen eyes, bumping into things, I couldn’t help but feel like if I’d just been able to get him two years ago, I could have saved him from this fate,” Dana confessed.
But Ham’s evasion had never been a reflection of her dedication, just proof of his extraordinary survival skills.
Once safely in care, Ham received the medical attention he desperately needed. The diagnosis was grim: complete blindness with dangerously high pressure in his right eye causing significant pain.
Surgery to remove the inflamed eye became necessary—not a choice, but a mercy. Through it all, Ham demonstrated remarkable resilience, enduring each procedure with stoic dignity that belied his feral origins.
The surgery was successful, but Ham’s journey from street cat to house pet had only just begun. The transition wasn’t without its challenges.
The cone collar necessary for his recovery was met with understandable feline indignation. More surprising was his initial fear of human touch, a barrier that required creative solutions.
Dana’s approach was ingeniously gentle: she began petting Ham with a kitchen spatula. The distance provided by this unusual tool allowed Ham to experience touch without the threatening proximity of human hands.
From there, progress came in careful increments – from spatula to the back of a hand, and finally to what Dana affectionately termed “normal cuddles.”
As trust slowly blossomed, Ham began to understand the benefits of indoor living. The consistent meals, soft bedding, and absence of predators or weather extremes made a compelling case for domestic life.
Soon, he was venturing beyond his crate, exploring with the cautious curiosity that had served him well on the streets, but now directed toward toys and climbing structures rather than survival necessities.
Meanwhile, medical results brought welcome news: the biopsy showed no signs of tumors or viruses. The blindness was permanent, but Ham was otherwise healthy and free of disease—a significant victory for a cat who had spent years without veterinary care.
Yet despite his growing comfort, something was missing from Ham’s new life. Enter Biscuit, a young, energetic cat whose boundless enthusiasm would prove to be exactly what Ham needed. In what Dana called “the plot twist nobody saw coming,” these two formed an immediate and profound bond.
Biscuit became Ham’s unofficial seeing-eye companion, not through training but through natural kinship. They wrestled like littermates, played with abandoned joy, and napped together in contented heaps.
Their connection was so special that Dana made one non-negotiable condition for their adoption: they must remain together.
Finding a forever home for this unusual pair—one blind adult cat and his high-energy companion—presented its own challenges.
Many potential adopters hesitated at the perceived difficulty of caring for a blind pet, despite Ham’s remarkable adaptability. Dana understood their concerns, but remained committed to finding the perfect match.
After time with another foster caregiver named Natasha, where Ham continued to demonstrate his resilience by adjusting seamlessly to new surroundings, the moment they had all been waiting for finally arrived.
The perfect family recognized what made Ham and Biscuit special, both individually and as a pair, and welcomed them into their home.
A year later, Dana still receives updates that warm her heart. Photos and messages show Ham and Biscuit thriving in their forever home, their bond as strong as ever.
The blind cat who once evaded capture for years now luxuriates in window perches and heated beds, while his faithful friend Biscuit continues to provide both companionship and guidance.
“He had such a presence in our little home,” Dana reflects with bittersweet fondness. “We are SO GLAD we found him the perfect little brother in Biscuit and subsequently the best possible forever home.”
The bittersweetness of successful fostering—loving deeply enough to let go—is a feeling Dana knows well. But each goodbye makes room for another animal in need, continuing the cycle of compassion that had once reached out to a theatrical feral kitten named Ham.
Ham’s story reminds us that even the most challenging beginnings can lead to beautiful endings, and that sometimes, the family we choose—whether human or feline—makes all the difference.
For Ham and Biscuit, their happily-ever-after continues to unfold each day in the warmth and safety of their forever home—a far cry from the Brooklyn streets where their story began, and all the more precious for the journey it took to get there.
Take a look at the video below:
A big thank you to Dana for sharing Ham’s story with us.
You can see more of Ham, Biscuit and Dana’s other fosters on Instagram
Related story: Feral Cat Goes From Hissing To Purring
More from We Love Cats and Kittens:
If you liked this, then please share our story:
And while you’re at it, leave a comment and tell us what you thought!
