Matt Damon Gushes Over His Costa Rican Rescue Cat, Who Truly Has 9 Lives

When it comes to roles, Matt Damon's latest one may have been his most challenging. No, it's not another Bourne thriller; instead it's his off-screen part as a proud pet parent. Damon opened up to comedian Stephen Colbert while appearing on the late night host's eponymous show, sharing the story of his family's beloved rescue cat — including how they came to adopt him, and the sad story of how he was nearly lost forever.

Don't worry, this story has a happy ending, although you may want to prepare yourself for a little heartbreak along the way. Of course, you'll want to hear this story the exact way that Damon told Colbert and the audience, because while there are some sad parts of the tabby's tale, there are plenty of chuckles to be had throughout the story.

On April 1, 2024, Damon appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and revealed that about a decade prior, Damon and his family spent a month at an Airbnb in Costa Rica. The Good Will Hunting star told the host about the amazing cat he met there, and how his family had fallen in love.

Damon described the kitty, who he said had been living on his own in the massive jungle at the time, as being "the coolest cat." Damon said the feisty feline, who apparently had wounds on either side of his body at the time, was "fighting for his life" every night.

Naturally, the Damon family fell in love with the cat, and when it came time to leave, they struggled with saying goodbye. Figuring the cat would die on his own after being catered to for a month, Damon did the same thing I would've done: He brought the kitty home to California, assuming that he would have an easy time adapting in his family's massive yard. Only the opposite happened, and it appears Damon's cat got spoiled by his new life and never went outside again.

This is where the story took a sad turn, and Damon told Colbert viewers how his cat started experiencing neurological symptoms after they moved to New York. A visit to the vet revealed the cat had a brain tumor, and the subsequent treatment seemed to lower the cat's quality of life. Through giggles, Damon explained how a cat neurologist told him that they could treat the cat with "a bunch of steroids," which ended up turning his furry friend into the feline version of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It's been 2.5 years since the vet told Damon that he would need to have a hard conversation with his children about their beloved cat's prognosis, and Damon joked that his now not-so-little kitty has been doing fine since getting medicated, despite now being super jacked. Talk about an emotional roller coaster! While the senior cat has probably already used up several of his nine lives between the jungle and his brain tumor, it's clear that he's has landed in good hands with the Damon family.

That being said, I'm glad I'm not the only one calling for photos of the family's beloved pet, whom many on the internet have taken to calling Cat Damon. Come on Matt, give the people what they want and share a picture of Arnold Schwarzen-kitty. We all want to see that furry face the Damons fell in love with all those years ago!