'We're already in love with Mina, but our cat seems to strongly prefer Edward': Pawrents can only keep one rescue, but their resident cat has made his final meow clear and it’s not the one they picked

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Sarah Brown • Writer and Editor
Aug 7, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

This furry friendship fiasco has all the classic catastrophe elements. The resident cat, a seasoned pawrent to fosters, was feeling a bit lonely, so his pawrents brought in Mina,a playful, skittish new feline friend they instantly adored. But, alas, the resident wasn't quite on board. Despite careful introductions, the duo's interactions have been more hissterical than harmonious, with hallway smacks reminding everyone this isn't quite the purrfect match.

Enter Edward, a familiar foster returned from a tough situation, who seems to have rekindled an old feline friendship. Suddenly, the resident is back to playing and purring, and even Mina is getting friendlier. This unexpected reunion has the humans scratching their heads, caught in a real tail of two cats (plus one) dilemma.

Now, the hoomans face a tricky balancing act between their love for Mina and the obvious bond between the resident cat and Edward. With the partner hesitant about adding a third permanent feline, the decision feels more complicated than a game of cat and mouse. Ultimately, when it comes to cats, it's clear who really runs the household and their preferences definitely steer the way forward! 

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  • 01
    'My partner is against having 3 permanent cats'
    via Nils Jacobi / Canva

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

  • 02
    We have a 3-year-old resident cat and also have been fostering for 4 years now. Our resident cat is really friendly towards the fosters, especially loves kittens. We decided to take a break from fostering recently because our cat had a series of health issues and we're also moving to a different country in January.
    via HerietteVonStadtl
  • 03
    However, we felt like our resident cat was a bit lonely, so we decided to adopt another cat. Coincidentally, there was a cat that needed a new foster home that we really liked, so we took her in with the intention to adopt her, if she and our resident cat got along well. This new cat is named Mina and we got her almost a month ago.
    via HerietteVonStadtl
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10538680832
    via yingtanthawarak / Canva

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

  • 05
    We love Mina! She is such a fun active cat, a bit skittish, but has been warming up to us. But, our resident cat is not a fan of her. We introduced them gradually, but there was still a lot of growling and hissing for a long time. They will still sometimes smack each other when they pass each other in the hallway and it doesn't really look like they're playing.
    via HerietteVonStadtl
  • 06
    So, last week, we were contacted by the owner of one of our previous fosters who was adopted a year ago from us. She is unfortunately in a bad personal situation and can no longer keep him, so we took him back to our foster care. This previous foster is called Edward.
    via HerietteVonStadtl
  • 07
    We didn't expect our resident cat and Edward to remember each other, but I think they do. They were immediately friendly towards each other and were play-chasing each other all over the apartment from day one. Our resident cat is also playing with toys all of a sudden and since Edward came here, she also seems friendlier towards Mina.
    via HerietteVonStadtl
  • 08
    Cheezburger Image 10538681088
    via rihaij from Pixabay / Canva

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

  • 09
    So now we're torn. We're already in love with Mina, but our cat seems to strongly prefer Edward. I would be open to keeping them all, but my partner is against having 3 permanent cats.
    via HerietteVonStadtl
  • 10
    In the end, we'll decide what we think is best for all of the cats, but I'd appreciate some external opinions.
    via HerietteVonStadtl
  • 11
    SemperSimple well, to answer the question. I'd keep the cat which got along with her. It's her friend and life partner, not really ours
    via SemperSimple
  • 12
    henicorina You have an entire life outside of your home. Friends, family etc. Your cat doesn't. Her one fellow cat is her entire social life! (Imagine if you were living on a space ship with only one person for company and they growled at you in the hall.)
    via henicorina
  • 13
    I think since you have a choice and she's expressed a preference, you should honor it.
    via henicorina

  • If you can really only keep one, it kinda sounds like your cat has spoken… and chosen Edward as their ride-or-die. Sometimes the heart wants what it wants!

  • 14
    alohasteffi74 Try to convince your partner, to keep all 3. It seems to be the perfect combination. Why doesn't he want to have 3? Not a big difference :-)
    via alohasteffi74
  • 15
    anonymgrl If you can only keep one in addition to your resident cat, obviously you need to keep Edward.
    via anonymgrl
  • 16
    deeppurpleking Either all 3 or just Edward. You said you wanted another cat for your resident to not be lonely, so keep the one resident likes because they're spending their life. together. As the cat "owners" we just get like a couple hours of interaction a day, while the cats are living their lives together
    via deeppurpleking
  • 17
    Cartoonist No3755 Awww please keep all 3. How long have you had Mina? It takes time and actually with 3 cats they may all get along better now. I'm not sure how old Mina is? Personally, if you truly had to choose, I would keep Edward. That sweet boy has clearly never had a stable home so far being tossed
    via CartoonistNo3755
  • 18
    from shelter, to foster, to an owner, and now back to foster, I think he really needs a stable and loving home. Mina seems like she will bounce back. But also the fact your resident cat likes Edward too, I think it shows that Edward is really happy. in your home. So I'd keep Edward.
    via CartoonistNo3755
  • 19
    But again, although they hiss at each other now give it some more time and I think they will all get along. fine. 3 cats is so fun
    via CartoonistNo3755

  • Give it time. Your resident cat and Mina just need a little more space and time to get acquinted. Soon enough, they'll be besties, and you'll have the purrfect trio of floofy chaos!

  • 20
    krustykatzjill Both. You owe it to the cat you adopted, you owe it to your cat to have his friend.
    via krustykatzjill
  • 21
    Lareinadelsur99 Congratulations on your 3 cats, eventually your husband will accept them
    via Lareinadelsur99

  • Clearly, it’s a purrfect trio! The cats have spoken, and it’s unanimous. This household needs all three. Who could break up such a dynamic feline friend group?

  • 22
    MaeEastx If you can afford it, keep them all. Sounds like they're all happy now. Mina is already your cat, Edward has been moved about a couple of times already. Just think about how taking one of them back to the shelter would feel.
    via MaeEastx

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Cats foster adopted rescue advice cat owners feline pawrents
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