One heartwarming hooman's journey from saving a stray orange cat in the rain to becoming a feline father and falling pawsitively in love: '[I] found what it is like to truly be appreciated'

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Aug 12, 2025 11:00 AM EDT

One of the things we love most about this job is spreading the great gospel of cat ownership (and by ownership, we mean being owned by a cat).

Cats, for pawsitively too many years, have gotten the short end of the pet stick, and dogs have lived in the limelight. Cats were seen as pets for lonely, introverted people. They are "cold" pets who don't really care about you or anything you do. Part of our job is to dispel all those purrfectly false accusations, and the story below is a meowrvelous example of that.

It was a rainy night, and he heard a tap-tap-tap on the window that sounded different from rain hitting glass. He found a soaked orange cat and took pity on the poor thing. Admittedly "not a cat person", he found himself falling deeply in love with his new role as a feline father, and now, he's obsessed with his cat (as he should be). The way he describes the joy of watching the cat he saved slowly feel comfortable in his home is the mark of true love. Nothing brings us more joy as a pawrent than seeing our fur babies be purrfectly peaceful in the home we made for them!

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  • 01

    How I Ended Up With a Cat (And Why I'm Obsessed)

    So I never thought I'd be a cat person, but here we are. It was like 2 AM last month and I'm de d asleep when I hear this scratching at my window. I live on the second floor, so I'm thinking maybe it's a branch or something. But then I look over and there's this scruffy orange tabby just staring at me through the glass, soaking wet from the rain.
    via Yasel
  • 02
    I felt so bad for the little guy. He looked absolutely miserable. So obviously I opened the window and he just waltzed right in like he owned the place. Started purring immediately, which was honestly pretty cute.
    via Yasel
  • 03
    Cheezburger Image 10540983552
    via Yasel
  • 04
    I had no idea what I was doing. I gave him some leftover chicken and a bowl of water, and he just went to town. Poor thing was clearly starving. He ended up sleeping on my couch that night, and when I woke up he was still there, just chilling.
    via Yasel
  • 05
    Took him to the vet the next day - - had to call out of work but whatever. The vet said he's probably been on the streets for months, needs to gain some weight, typical stray cat stuff. They gave me this whole list of things to do and honestly it seemed overwhelming at first.
    via Yasel

  • Getting a new pet is overwhelming! It's purrfectly okay to feel that - we felt it too when we got our first kitten. You have so many things to buy and you're not sure if you're buying the right food, the right litter, or the right anything. By the time you get to your second or third cat, you calm down a bit. 

  • 06
    But you know what? It's actually been really cool. I named him Mango because of his orange fur (super original, I know), and watching him get comfortable has been amazing. Like at first he was super skittish, wouldn't let me pet him much. Now he literally follows me around the apartment and sleeps on my bed every night.
    via Yasel
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10540983296
    via Yasel
  • 08
    The funniest thing is how he's completely taken over. He has his favorite spots, knocks stuff off my desk constantly, and somehow always knows when I'm having a bad day. Last week I was stressed about work and he just came over and flopped down on my laptop. Couldn't even be mad about it.
    via Yasel
  • 09
    I never realized how much routine pets need, but it's actually been good for me too. I'm more organized now, budget better because of vet bills and food costs. And coming home to someone who's genuinely excited to see you? Game changer.
    via Yasel
  • 10
    My friends think I'm obsessed now because I definitely send too many photos of him, but whatever. The guy saved me from another boring night of Netflix, so I think we're even. Best impulse decision I've ever made, honestly.
    via Yasel
  • 11
    SherbertSea8918 Your cat is excited to see you when you get home? Hot Cute though in all seriousness!! love to hear it
    via SherbertSea8918

  • One of our cats waits by the door before we get home, the other will wait for us to greet them. However, they are right - having someone waiting for you to come home is a true game-changer. It fills our day with excitement upon seeing their faces when we come home after work. Nothing brings us more joy!

  • 12
    _ justthisonce_ Glad to hear a heartwarming story in a sea of "I want to re- home my cat" posts.
    via _justthisonce_
  • 13
    Internal-Bison-8943 :) I never thought I was a cat person either nor have I ever had a pet. I took in a cat from a rescue without even meeting him first because I wanted to help the rescue
    via Internal-Bison-8943
  • 14
    make room for a new batch of cats. Turned out to be an impossibly cute big orange boy who is excited to see me when I come home and plops on my lap when I am having a bad day.
    via Internal-Bison-8943
  • 15
    sfweedman Ahhhh the good old r/catdistributionsystem at work again. It doesn't f around.
    via sfweedman
  • 16
    logophileFL Now that you have been claimed by a cat, you should know about the cat tax. Time to pay up!
    via logophileFL
  • 17
    StuDJS This is the most wholesome thing ever! Mango sounds like he absolutely chose you. That part about him taking over your laptop had me cracking up. Classic cat behavior
    via StuDJS
  • 18
    sammysbud Sorry, but you need to pay the cat tax... post Mango or else! In all seriousness, it sounds like Mango is in good hands <3
    via sammysbud
  • 19
    Rich_Group_8997 Aww thanks for giving this little guy a home. He will be your new best friend!
    via Rich_Group_8997
  • 20
    Threefrogtreefrog There are like 3 bajillion cat subs on Reddit where we don't think it's weird you're obsessed with Mango, we are too. Or we will be once you pay your cat tax! r/OneOrangeBraincell.
    via Threefrogtreefrog
  • 21
    FerretMomma5211 You have found what it is like to truly be appreciated and that it self is warming. Congrats on your new furbaby
    via FerretMomma5211
  • 22
    lovethegreeks Seriously consider investing in pet insurance! Also congrats! But seriously! even routine vet bills can cost anywhere from hundreds of dollars to 1000+ if they need to do something specialized! The sooner you have the pet insurance the better your new baby will be protected.
    via lovethegreeks

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falling in love adoption animal rescue adopted feline cat rescue orange cats forever home Cats loving animals Father rescue
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