Sweet cat adopts grumpy old man neighbor by wiggling her way into his heart, he falls in love despite his loud protests: ‘I’m not a pet person'

Author image for Blake Seidel
Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Mar 7, 2025 12:00 PM EST

It's Furiday, feline fam! We're sharing a classic story for you to walk into the weekend with a smile on your faces.  It's a tale as old as time, a song as old as rhyme: the beauty and the beast. Except in this case, the beauty is a sweet tortoiseshell cat and the beast is a grumpy old man who, like any grumpy old man, does not like pets. 

His neighbor had 27, yes, you read that correctly, 27 cats and was trying to rehome them. However, this cute cat took matters into her own paws and wiggled her way into this hooman's heart. Cats have a way of doing that, right? You just can't resist them (we can't, at least), and tortoiseshell cats are especially good at charming an unsuspecting hooman. Despite all of his protests, he fell in love anyway. Dads and cats never stand a chance. It seems like the harder they resist, the more they fall in love. The whole thread is below, so get to scrolling!

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10475307520
    via u/Royceman50

  • The cat is in love with that man. Love with a capital L, O, V, and E! You can practically feel it purrmeating through the photo. We wish we had someone that looked at us the way the cat looks at her (new) father!

  • 02
    My neighbor had 27 cats, but her trailer was immaculate. So she must have cleaned like she was on Anyway, one of her cats used to come over
    via u/Royceman50
  • 03
    regularly. She adopted me. I didn't want the responsibility of a pet. But she worked her way into my heart. The neighbor gave us her. (She was trying to rehome all of the cats.)
    via u/Royceman50
  • 04
    One_Plenty4635 • 6h ago Looks like you are a cat owner We were also not animal people until my husband brought home 2 kittens on Labor Day. I never knew cats were so amazing and they pick their people! Enjoy your little fur buddy. You both look very content and loved. You cannot buy that
    via u/One_Plenty4635
  • 05
    indraeek • 6h ago You are now!
    via u/indraeek
  • 06
    agms10 • 6h ago I had a tortoiseshell cat like yours, she adopted me too. She was my little companion every minute I was home. If she wasn't laying g on top of me, she laying against me.
    via u/agms10

  • Paws for a moment and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusively silly cat content!

  • 07
    ChickieNuggiesLyfe • 6h ago She adopted you! The cat distribution system works in mysterious ways.
    via u/ChickieNuggiesLyfe
  • 08
    Cheezburger Image 10475313920
    via pixelshot

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 09
    RichFoot2073 · 6h ago • Was about to say from the picture: You may not be a pet person, but it definitely looks like Miss Tortie there has adopted you as her hooman.
    via u/RichFoot2073
  • 10
    Bouche_Audi_Shyla . 6h ago Congratulations on your new job as soft can-opener. You are required to give pets, open all cans, be a bed, clean the box, never ever move when the overlord is sleeping on you, and to provide any and all demands.
    via u/Bouche_Audi_Shyla
  • 11
    In exchange, you will enjoy unlimited close-up views of your overlord's wonderful b_t, lots of small claw marks, broken knickknacks, and late- night zoomies.
    via u/Bouche_Audi_Shyla
  • 12
    BadBudget87 • 6h ago Lol. Welp, you're a cat person now. Sorry, I don't make the rules. lol
    via u/BadBudget87
  • 13
    Afet-Capri • 6h ago Adorable! Y'all are a family now.
    via u/Afet-Capri
  • 14
    3batsinahousecoat The cat disagrees
    via u/3batsinahousecoat
  • 15
    Najaras_C _Rag • 6h ago You don't choose the cat life, the cat life chooses you.
    via u/Najaras_C**_Rag
  • 16
    duckface08 .5h ago There is nothing like the love between a man who didn't want a cat and his cat
    via u/duckface08

  • Isn't that right? The heaviest ones fall the hardest, and that is especially true for people who “don't like cats." They just haven't met the right cat yet. And once they fall in love, they are gone for good (in the best way pawssible).

  • 17
    Growing up, my dad always. said he didn't like cats. Then I got a cat. He and her became fast friends and even years after her death, her picture is his Facebook profile photo and his phone background. He admitted she had wormed her way into his heart.
    via u/duckface08
  • 18
    Arbitrary_1 · 6h ago That cat adores you
    via u/Arbitrary_1
  • 19
    Cheezburger Image 10475313664
    via Sofiia Potatina

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 20
    • truly_beyond_belief 5h ago r/dadswhodidnotwantpets
    via u/truly_beyond_belief
  • 21
    GoldenGodMinion • 5h ago Congrats on the new family member. Also, I thought you were great as Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones.
    via u/GoldenGodMinion
  • 22
    a-snakey •5h ago The cat chooses you, whether you want to or not.
    via u/a-snakey
  • 23
    wavblaster • 5h ago . When a cat like that starts purring you can throw your blood pressure medicine out the window. Nothing reduces high bl d pressure, stress and anxiety like the soft purr of our little fur balls.
    via u/wavblaster
  • 24
    conh3 5h ago • Looks like you just sang baby a lullaby and now you are stuck
    via u/conh3
  • 25
    GotTheTee · 5h ago That's how they get ya! You start out saying "nope, not a cat person" and then "well ok, this cat is sorta nice"... and when they hear that they turn on the charm full force till they hear "Here kitty kitty"!
    via u/GotTheTee

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Tags

neighbors heart adoption old man strange adopted grumpy feline cat rescue love forever home Cats loving animals
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