Couple goes to adopt a cat they feel destined to become a part of their family, only to learn another family claimed him first

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
May 29, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

'We knew it from the moment we saw him' - Forest's pawrents from the Reddit r/Cats community

When you find your soul cat, you just know they're meant to be yours.

Meeting your soul cat is like meeting your life partner - you just know it's meant to be. Some call it love at first sight, some call us soulmates, but we know the forces of feline fate when we feel them. It's like two magnets gently pulling you closer and closer until you're inseparable. We felt it when we met our husband, and when we met our first cat.

Just like we did, the couple in our story below also felt it. They went to adopt a kitten, whom they named 'Forest' (after Forest Whitaker), and instantly knew he was destined to be a part of their family. "Like a good batch of strawberries … we knew it from the moment we saw him", he said. However, when they went to adopt him, they found out another family had already claimed him. They were devastated, but they weren't about to let their soul cat slip through their fingers.

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  • “Ever the saleswoman”, as the cat dad described his girlfriend, she convinced the family to adopt a pair of bonded kittens instead of Forest, and they were able to leave with Forest safely in their arms all the way home. 

    Forest went on to bring them all the happiness they thought he would. He moved across the country with them. He slept in between their pillows every day for almost 12 years. He chased birds in Central Park and lizards in Texas. He convinced this now 200% in love cat dad to love cats (he admitted to wanting a dog, at first). He walked on a leash and made friends with everybody he met, be they friends or complete strangers. But more than anyone, he loved his pawrents the most.

    To all of you who feel indifferent towards cats, we’re just waiting for you to meet your very own Forest. A love like that will change your life. Not in an instant, but after years and years of experiencing that special feline love you can only get from a cat, one day you’ll wake up and realize you never could have lived your life without them.

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    We had been living together for a few months, and we were ready to grow the family. I wanted a dog. She wanted a cat. I wasn't a "cat guy." We traveled a lot, she reasoned, a dog wasn't humane. We got the cat, but I was allowed to name him whatever I wanted. That way, even if we didn't bond, I'd be able to laugh whenever I called to it.
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    We knew it from the moment we saw him, like a good batch of strawberries. Grey and white, with a mustache and a pink nose. And a droopy eye, courtesy of feline herpes, a sad byproduct of being born into a packed adoption center.
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    The second he saw us, he jumped onto the metal fence of his adoption facility and scaled it like Spider-Man. When they let us in, he crawled on our shirts and clung on for dear life. "Oh my god," I said. "He's Forest Whitaker."
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    Only one problem. He was already adopted. A family, two little girls, had met him just 20 minutes earlier. They staked their claim, like the Oklahoma land grab. We were devastated. This little dude was ours, we knew it. My wife wouldn't back down. Technically, the family hadn't left with him. And they really wanted two cats, one for each of the girls. Ever the saleswoman, my wife found a pair of sibling cats for the girls and talked the family into it.
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    Forest Whitaker was coming home with us. That first night, he kneaded my chest like the best baker in Paris. I was now a cat guy.
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    That was 11 years, 9 months and 7 days ago. 4,298 days with us. 4,000- plus nights falling asleep with him between us or on our pillow. He likes her pillow more. She has more hair.
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    He's been the best friend we've ever known, more love than all other living things combined. And not just for us. Friends were treated like royalty. Strangers were family. The dude walked on a leash, for heaven's sake.
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    We've traveled all over with him, two cross-country moves, one cross- country drive. He saw the Washington Monument and the Grand Canyon and everything in between. What cat can say that?
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    He's chased birds in Central Park and lizards in Texas. We saw a giant roadrunner statue in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and his life flashed before his eyes. He never looked at birds the same way after that.
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    It hasn't been easy. He has had health problems since the day we adopted him. Eye problems, digestive issues. Guy was a walking malady. We put six veterinarian's kids through college. We adopted a second cat, Danny Bonaduce, just to keep him calm. They became fast friends.
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    They were there for each other, and they were there for us. Truth be told, I'm not so sure there would still be an us without these two boys. There were some pretty big arguments, but neither of us could imagine living separately from them. We rescued them? No, they rescued us.
    via NowWhatAmISupposedTo
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    Adept Amount_4327 Thank you so much for letting us get to know Forest through this post. He is an amazing boi! I am
    via Adept_Amount_4327
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    mjcnbmex Forest must have picked you because he knew he would have a wonderful life! You were excellent cat parents. Forest was a lucky cat.
    via mjcnbmex
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    CAWild Kitty Thank you for telling us about your wonderful friend Forest. His life force radiates right off the page with every picture you shared. He's a magnificent boy.
    via CAWildKitty
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    Catmom6363 Your post made me cry! I do feral cat rescue, and my husband who recently passed away was a dog guy. I've always said that people who aren't cat people just have t had the right cat!
    via Catmom6363
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    AffectionateCat164 This was beautiful...thank you so much for sharing him with us. I can now proudly say I saw a very loved "human." I can tell how much he means to you. He's beautiful. He will now be remembered by many people from all over the world.
    via AffectionateCat164

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