Perlita: A Promise We Had to Keep

There are some stories that stay with you.

Perlita is one of them.

We found her in November 2025 in Tingo Paccha.

She was just a tiny kitten, no more than two months old.

Fragile, underweight, and barely covered in fur, she looked more like a little rat than a cat.

Her ears seemed burned, shiny and damaged, as if something had hurt her deeply.

But what stayed with me the most was not how she looked. It was how scared she was.

She was trembling, silent, trying to disappear.

That day, my mother in-law and I picked her up, and without saying it out loud, I made her a promise:

You are safe now. I will take care of you.

Learning to Trust Again

Perlita slowly began to heal.

We fed her carefully, every 2 hours helping her regain strength.

We gave her warmth, attention, and patience.

Day by day, she started to trust again.

She became sweet. Gentle. Loving.

The kind of kitten who just needed a chance.

And when December came, we believed she was ready for a home.

We found someone who promised to care for her, protect her, and love her.

We made it clear: Perlita needed to be sterilized, and Pichuberry would cover the full cost.

Everything seemed right.

In December, we received a photo. She looked okay.

I wanted to believe she was happy.

When Promises Start to Break

In January, communication became inconsistent.

In February, we were told Perlita was already in heat.

We immediately began coordinating her sterilization, but the process kept getting delayed. Excuses. Postponements. Messages that led nowhere.

All we could think was: She might get pregnant.

We insisted. We followed up. We tried again and again.

But no action was taken.

Weeks passed.

The Day Everything Changed

By March, we could no longer wait.

We went to the house. We knocked. We waited. We asked neighbors. We came back again.

Until finally, we were told the truth. The person who had adopted Perlita was gone.

She had left the city. And Perlita had been left behind.

Left in the care of an elderly man who could not, and did not want to, take responsibility for her. There was no one ensuring she was fed. No one protecting her. No one caring.

When our volunteer tried to approach her, Perlita ran. She was terrified.

The man shouted at her. She escaped to the roof, trying to survive, trying to stay away from people.

And then, one day, she was handed over. Inside a dirty potato sack.

Like she was nothing.

The Perlita We Found Again

We took her back immediately.

But she was no longer the same kitten.

The loving, trusting baby we once held… was gone.

Now, Perlita is pregnant.

Now, Perlita is deeply afraid of humans.

She hides under the bed and does not move.

She avoids contact. She does not understand that she is safe again.

And that is the hardest part.

Because we know who she used to be.

The Weight of a Promise

This story is not just about abandonment.

It is about what happens when trust is broken.

When someone promises to protect a life… and doesn’t.

I keep thinking back to the day we rescued her.

To the promise I made.

And for a moment… I felt like I failed her.

I wanted to believe she was okay. I wanted to believe she was loved.

But she wasn’t.

And now we are here — not giving up, not looking away — but doing what we have always done:

Showing up again.

Why This Matters

Adopting an animal is not temporary.

It is not something you can walk away from.

It is a commitment to protect, to care, and to show up—every single day.

When that commitment is broken, the consequences are real.

Fear. Trauma. More suffering. More lives at risk.

Perlita is now pregnant. And we can only imagine what could have happened if we had not gone back for her.

Be Part of Perlita’s Healing

Today, Perlita is safe. She is warm. She has food. She is no longer alone.

She is resting in a quiet room at Casa Aurora, with the heat on, soft blankets, and nourishing meals, including wet food and warm chicken broth to help her regain strength.

But she is still healing.

She is pregnant. She is scared. And she needs time, care, and patience to learn to trust again.

At Pichuberry, we are doing everything we can for her.

But we cannot do it alone.

You can be part of Perlita’s journey. By sponsoring Perlita, you help provide:

• Daily nutritious meals

• Veterinary care for her and her future kittens

• A safe, warm space for recovery

• The time and patience she needs to heal

This is more than support.

This is helping Perlita believe in kindness again.

Because after everything she has been through…

She deserves to feel safe, loved, and protected — every single day.