'I never had a choice, I was given my first kitten the day I was born': Wholesome stories of what turned people into cat lovers, to open 2026 on the pawdorable side

Author image for Ayala Sorotsky
Ayala Sorotsky • Writer and Editor
Jan 1, 2026 1:00 PM EST

Not all people are born as cat lovers. Sometimes, cat-loving is earned throughout life, whether you planned it or not. It's like not all people are planning on adopting a cat, but you can never know if the Cat Distribution System has already designated you as the forever human of a fluffy feline who's going to be your friend for life. And that's how a lot of people become Cat People™. They go through their life, unsuspecting, unassuming, but then - a cat shows up. And the rest is an adorable history.

So we asked our dear online feline family: "What turned you into a cat person?" And let us tell you, the ICHC community has some stories to tell. Some were born as cat people, with a kitten in their hands. But others tell truly wholesome tales of the cat that turned them around, and made them fall madly in love with cats in general. It's the cat meowgic.

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  • 01
    If you weren't before - what turned you into a cat person? CANHAS CHEEZ BURGER
    via ICanHasCheezburger?
  • 02
    Rising fan Deanne Bodenheim I'm a dog person. Dyed in the wool dawg person. Last year, a pitiful stray tabby walked right up to me, asking for help. I'm allergic to cats, very allergic. Fast forward to present...she's fixed, vaccinated, chipped, spoiled rotten, and owns the house...l merely live to serve. 1w Like Reply
    via Deanne Bodenheim
  • 03
    Top fan Claire Cahill I never had a choice, I was given my first kitten the day I was born. In the 63 years since, I've very rarely been without a cat. 1w Like Reply 7b
    via Claire Cahill
  • 04
    Lorraine Davis I saw a cat carrying a snake down the road that it caught and intended to eat. I thought to myself, "I need a snake handler" but there are so many more benefits to having cats. 1w Like Reply 21b
    via Lorraine Davis
  • 05
    Linda McCallister I'm not crazy, but I've been a cat person since I was a toddler carrying my kitty around upside down and have the photos to prove it. 1w Like Reply 21b
    via Linda McCallister
  • 06
    Matthew Pryor This little bundle on hell did it to me. SmokeyBo came from a rescue, FIV positive and all black no one wanted him. In a cage all by himself, I couldn't leave him, so the dark terror came home with me
    via Matthew Pryor
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10591872000
    via Matthew Pryor

  • Hah, we kind of love it when void cats are addressed as these little demons, it plays right into their Halloween-ready reputation. But we all know what void cats actually are - cutie patootie shadows with eyes, who just want to purr on your soul (not steal it).

    And it's ameowzing to know this little void made a person a true cat lover, a cat person in their own right.

  • 08
    Top fan Mara Warner My dad left when I was 2, mom had a breakdown. I stopped talking in care ...until a-cat walked in. I still say kittykitty when I see one. I only trust animals
    via Mara Warner
  • 09
    Julie Morey I volunteered at a cat shelter during COVID. I never wanted a cat, so thought I'd never want to adopt one.... I now have a cat
    via Julie Morey
  • 10
    Top fan Dian Feral I was born to be one. Cat in my crib did it.
    via Dian Feral
  • 11
    Top fan Jason Minier Until Miss Kitty came to live with me I was the one taking care of other people's pets, so it was a pretty natural transition.
    via Jason Minier
  • 12
    Cheezburger Image 10591873536
    via Jason Minier

  • It really is “just natural” to become a cat person if you have a cat. It's very hard to resist the cat charm. And they're definitely charming just by existing.

  • 13
    Karen Leach Fromme I have been a dog person all my life. I groomed dogs for 4 years, my college job. My lab had cancer and did not survive. I swore off all pets. Then one day, I went to my car, and there in my flower pot by the garage was the most heartbreaking sight I have ever seen. A large
    via Karen Leach Fromme
  • 14
    ginger boy, who only weighed 11 pounds. I could see his rib cage and he was curled up sleeping. I fed him a can of tuna (still his favorite food) and a bowl of water.
    via Karen Leach Fromme
  • 15
    He had a cut above his eye,so he must have lost the battle for food. He left for 2 weeks, came back, and walked into the house like he was home. He is up to 17 pounds now, and not chonky at all. I tear up when I think he may die. I can't imagine my life without him. I can't believe I haven't had a cat for all my life. He shares my pillow at night, if I try to get up he puts a paw on my shoulder. 1w Like Reply Edited
    via Karen Leach Fromme
  • 16
    Top fan Angelica Holway I had a shed put up in my backyard. We noticed a small black kitty walking in the backyard and then saw mama with more babies. So many came and went, but it wasn't until I decided to feed mama and got cat toys to play with them. I earned trust from a gray/black striped cat, bent down and grabbed him and ran inside. Two
    via Angelica Holway
  • 17
    weeks later, my husband put tuna by the back door and left it open. In walked a black cat with a white patch on his neck. We named him Spotty and his brother is Tiger Woods. We love them! We still have visitors that come and go, so we feed the mamas when we can.
    via Angelica Holway
  • 18
    Cheezburger Image 10591874048
    via Angelica Holway
  • 19
    Sheila Sanford I was a sickly child in the 60s and could not go outside very often. A black cat with a white spot on her chest would sit on my windowsill and keep me company. I called her Daisy. I've always had a cat. They just show up when I need them and they sometimes choose to stay with me.
    via Sheila Sanford
  • 20
    Mike Feigenbaum My daughter's cat didn't get along with her other ones so I took him in. He was an awesome companion for almost 18 years.
    via Mike Feigenbaum
  • 21
    Cheezburger Image 10591875072
    via Mike Feigenbaum

  • Wow, 18 years! It's crazy to think about that. A cat that needed to be rehomed right into the hands of a person who wasn't even a cat person at the time - but turned them into one for almost two decades (at least)! That's truly impressive.

    Also, a cat that lives up to 18 years? You know that's a cat who was very well taken care of. If a cat gets to celebrate their 18th birthday, it's like a person celebrating their… 90th-ish birthday? Something like that. And wow, this is awe-inspiring.

  • 22
    Javie Patag They're soft to the touch, and can be very, very sweet and affectionate. As simple as that.
    via Javie Patag
  • 23
    Amelia Estrada When we adopted my sweet girl midnite
    via Amelia Estrada
  • 24
    Cheezburger Image 10591875840
    via Amelia Estrada

  • We love Midnight as a name for a black cat! Se sweet. She looks adorable as well.

  • 25
    Sheryl Pockrose My parents were pug people, and, I still like pugs a lot, but, once I moved out, since I live alone, I didn't consider a dog. My first cat chose to move in with me from the house next door when those people moved, and my 2nd was a stray in the neighborhood. So, as many people say -- the cats picked me. 1w Like Reply ib
    via Sheryl Pockrose
  • 26
    Patrick Stantiford It was the moment a stray black kitten came down out of a tree and climbed up my leg. I took him into the house and that was that.
    via Patrick Stantiford
  • 27
    Kevin A. Rutledge funny enough, as a kid i was diagnosed allergic to cats [dander and saliva]...by the time i was about 12 or so, i noticed that cats seemed to know i was allergic because they would absolutely swarm me and rub all over me-and i was SEVERELY allergic...there is a degree of contrariety in that, that i absolutely respected. so i just too meds to survive that...now here i am with 3 cats [i have had up to 11 at a time] and 1 zyrtec a day, and we are doing great.
    via Kevin A. Rutledge
  • 28
    [Clockwise, from the top: Lord Cu'Chulainn Springslayer, Queen Persephone Thunderbutt I, & Duchess Artemis Latte]
    via Kevin A. Rutledge
  • 29
    Cheezburger Image 10591876608
    via Kevin A. Rutledge

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