She stuck her paw out of the crate as if to say, Let me out. She didnt know she was on her way home.The alarm rings. Not your usualsnooze-and-roll-overkind of alarm this is theMochis going on a planealarm.Checklist time: food bowls lifted so she doesnt sneak a last-minute snack, passport and ticket money checked, crate lined with pads, special plastic zippers locked, name tag written.I place Mochi inside the crate. Sprinkle a little catnip to keep her calm during her journey. A paw shoots out like a tiny protest sign:Excuse me, maam, what exactly is happening here?She doesnt know how could she? that this scary little trip is her bridge to a forever family.Shes only been with me eight months, but thats the only home she knows. I am her person. And I cant help but wonder: when she settles, will she understand what I did for her? Maybe. Maybe not.Mochi RestingWhere It BeganMochis story didnt start in a crate.She was once a tiny calico kitten, sitting alone in a cold winter garden no mother, no siblings, just a small wound and a circle of dogs sniffing around her. One of the security guards spotted her on his way to his shift.Many people would have walked past without thinking much of it. But over the years, as I fed my colony and rescued cats in front of the security and garage workers, something shifted in them. They began to see animals through a different lens. Rescue didnt seem strange anymore it became normal, even possible.That day, he called me and asked if he could bring her to me. I couldnt say no. He showed up at my doorstep with this fragile, wide-eyed kitten, and that was the beginning. She blossomed into a resilient, strong-headed calico girl the Mochi I zipped into a crate eight months later.The FlightWe drive to the airport. For me, its just a few hours of waiting, talking rescue tidbits with fellow rescuers, swapping WhatsApps about other traveling cats. For her, it must have felt like intergalactic travel the noise, the smells, the fear.When she landed in Frankfurt, her adopter who had traveled all the way from Brussels to pick her up sent me a photo. Mochi looked confused, exhausted, and slightly betrayed. My heart sank. But I knew she was in good hands.This wasnt just any adopter. Fourteen years ago, she adopted a silver Mau cat from me, a boy I had namedSilver Sultan. Id found him one night on the street as I was heading to dinner with friends. He was under a year old, far too friendly to survive long out there. So I scooped him up, and in time, he made his way to her.Silver Sultan Before, EgyptSilver Sultan has been with her ever since loved and cared for all these years. So when Mochi went into her arms, I felt a wave of relief. A full circle trust, love, and continuity. Few things in rescue feel as rare, or as precious.Silver Sultan After, BelgiumBack to RoutineThen back home: cats to feed, medicine to give, updates from boarding, clinics, and fosters.How many times have I done this now? At first, I tried to count. Not anymore. The numbers blur. The feelings dont: worry for the one that left, anxiety for the ones still here, and a head buzzing with surgeries, vet bills, and looming financials.A One-Person ShelterHeres the truth no one tells you: what I do every day isnt supposed to be the work of one person. In another country, this would be handled by a shelter with staff and volunteers.But in Egypt, with stray and abandoned pets far outnumbering the few shelters we have, individuals like me end up carrying the load of an entire system.Is it sustainable? Probably not.Can I look away? Definitely not.Will things change soon? Honestly doubtful.The Adoption HurdlesOn top of it all, international adoption has become harder. Inflation makes people think twice. And lets face it everyone wants the fluffy, Instagram-ready cats.Meanwhile, I have a lineup of short-haired domestics and cats with disabilities. Theyre just as loving, just as deserving but not always the pretty ones.Why We Keep GoingSo, how has this been going for nearly 20 years? I dont know. But I do know this: the moment I see a photo of a cat curled up safe in their forever home, every sleepless night and every headache vanishes.Because thats what its about.Silver Sultan in BrusselsThe Bigger PictureIs rescue life different elsewhere? I doubt it. Rescuers everywhere live in a loop: endless rescues, the dread of spotting another animal in need, the fear of answering that call or message about a cat dumped on the street.We rush to post advice, fight against mistreatment, and raise awareness. But most of the time, it feels like were talking to ourselves, inside the rescue bubble.The only real solution? Education on a massive scale. Start in kindergarten. Teach kids that pets are family, not toys. Show them the beauty of all domestic cats and dogs, so specific breeds stop getting all the love. And maybe, just maybe, well raise a generation that adopts adults, not just kittens and puppies.Mochi NowAnd TomorrowFor now, one cat has traveled. How many more to go? Too many to count.But I keep going. Ive been saying that for 18 years now.And tomorrow, Ill probably say it again.Because for Mochi, and for Silver Sultan before her, and for every cat after them, its worth it.If youd like to follow Mochis updates and many more rescue stories you can find me on Facebook (EgyPaws Cat Rescue) or Instagram (@simbakis).