Cotton: A Tiny Life, A Brutal Truth
One of Cairo’s thousands of silent stories.
It was already dark in Cairo. The streets roared with life, but mine had just stopped. I was walking down a crowded street when I saw a man kick something in front of him. It slid across the ground into the road. At first, I thought it was a can.
But then it moved.
And then it cried.
It wasn’t a can. It was a tiny kitten — orange and white, no more than two months old — kicked into traffic like garbage. He hit the pavement and lay there, stunned, scared, broken. No one around me reacted. Not one person paused to check.
But I ran.
I saw you...now you have a name..His Name Was Cotton
I rushed to him, terrified he’d be hit by a car. He was trembling. I found a nearby shop, bought a piece of cloth, and gently wrapped him in it. I held him against me as he cried, trying to make sense of a world that had already tried to erase him.
I was lost — a stranger in Cairo, unable to speak the language, with a kitten barely holding on. That’s when someone saw me. A kind man. He asked what was wrong. I told him. He offered help. He took me and Cotton to a nearby vet in Giza.
The doctor was gentle, compassionate. He told me Cotton had suffered head trauma from the kick. He gave him something for the pain. There was nothing more he could do that night. He asked me to return the next day.
The kind stranger offered to watch over Cotton until then.
The next morning, I got the call.
Cotton had passed away during the night.
This Is Not Just Cotton’s Story...
Cotton is gone. But what breaks me is knowing this: his story is not unique.
There are thousands like him. Kicked. Poisoned. Starved. Ignored. Some freeze to death. Some are crushed by cars. Most are never even given a name. They die without being seen, without being touched, without being mourned.
Cotton was lucky.
He died in warmth. In arms. With a name.
Most don’t get that.
What We Do at Zee Animal Shelter
At Zee Animal Shelter, we see this kind of cruelty every single day. And we fight it.
We rescue animals from the streets of Cairo and Giza.
We treat the sick, the wounded, the dying.
We feed the starving, the forgotten.
We help out those who survive, giving them a second chance.
We fight to give dignity to those who don’t.
But we can’t do it alone.
How You Can Help
If Cotton’s story moved you — act.
🧡 Adopt: Many of the cats we rescue survive the horrors of the street. They heal. They wait. They are ready for love. By adopting one of our rescued cats, you don’t just save a life — you give it a future.
🧡 Donate: Every dollar saves lives.
🧡 Sponsor: Help us feed and medicate a cat for as little as £15/month.
🧡 Share: Spread these stories. Open eyes.
🧡 Care: No matter where you live, show compassion to the animals around you.
