HOW TO TAME AN ANGRY CAT: She rescued a feisty kitten and the next three days tested her patience

By ALMA J. BUELVA

​Ghen Gabriel is a cat lover from Valenzuela in Metro Manila who one day stumbled upon an abandoned grey kitten in a dumpster. She decided to rescue and bring it home even though it acted quite like the kitten from hell!

Instantly Ghen called the kitten Sungit (grouchy) as it violently hissed and growled at her and repeatedly tried to attack her. Sungit was a small ball of fury—wild and ferocious like a tiger.

A very angry Sungit during his first day with Ghen.

But Ghen was not one to give up easily. She believed little Sungit was just scared and probably traumatized so she patiently worked to win his trust and to calm him down. A series of videos she took of them documented her struggles with Sungit who obviously didn't trust humans—or anything else that moved.

On the first day, the only way Ghen could hold Sungit was by wrapping him in a towel. Sungit protested and cried vigorously even after Ghen placed him inside a cat carrier.

Ghen tried to feed Sungit, hoping food would make the little tiger less aggressive. To avoid Sungit's dangerous claws, Ghen used a chopstick to pick up and bring bits of cat food to Sungit. Unfortunately, it only seemed to aggravate Sungit's hysterical fit so that he gave Ghen's chopsticks a good karate chop that sent food flying away.

The next day, a slightly calmer Sungit could be seen cautiously drinking water from a spoon held by Ghen. To be safe, Ghen still had Sungit wrapped in a towel. As he drank, Sungit was throwing Ghen a cautionary look in case she tried something funny.

By the third day, a marked improvement in Sungit's disposition was visible. After receiving lots of love, patience and care from Ghen, Sungit's level of grouchiness was down. Ghen, who ditched using a towel for a pair of gloves, was not only able to carry Sungit close to her, she also managed to plant a kiss on his head!

​Here's a video of their hate-love relationship:

Sungit continued to react passively when she snuggled beside Ghen's pillows, occasionally moving his tail and peeking his head out. He was no longer angry at Ghen. At that moment, Ghen knew Sungit was making an important turn for the better.

Here are some of Sungit's latest photos:

​These days, Sungit has become friends with Ghen's five other cats. Ghen said the grouchy kitten she found in the dumpster is now a very affectionate and playful kitten who is also quite the big eater.

“I knew Sungit would be a good cat given the chance,” said Ghen.

So, next time anyone of us wants to tame an angry cat, remember Sungit, the real grumpy cat made moderate by love.