Mom tells her son to "pick any animal he wants", and he chooses the oldest, shyest, chonkiest orange cat in the shelter and names him Tiny

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Sep 28, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

Some stories are worth remembering. 

The internet is a fast-paced machine, churning out as much new content as possible every single day. We can't keep up. There is too much to see. And within that chaos, the speed of everything, a lot of stories get lost. Stories that deserve to be remembered. Every day, people post stories about their cats. Cats that they have rescued, cats they adopted, cats that adopted them. We cherish them all, we do. Behind every adopted cat there is a story. I have one too. But some stories stick out more than others. Some stories remain in our memories longer. The same is true for the people of the internet. Which is why, within all the new stories that come out and go viral, every once in a while, an old story goes viral too. And we think that - especially now - when the world is full of so many fake stories, it's important to remember the old ones, the ones that we know are real.

Of course, the person who posted this story on X last week didn't bother mentioning that it was an old one. People liked it and shared it just because it was wholesome, thinking that it was a new story. But I, as someone who has been writing about cats for many years now, knew the original story. And so I went on the hunt, looking for the original coverage, for more pictures, for updates, and of course, I found it all. 

This story originally came out around ten years ago, and there is a reason that it has stuck in people's memories, including mine. It's one of those "stories that give you hope for humanity" kind of situations. A kid was given permission to choose any pet that he wanted in the shelter, and he went ahead and chose the oldest, shyest, chonkiest orange cat who had been in the shelter for many years and had been passed over again and again. Honestly, we hope that our children are the same one day. We will certainly try to raise them that way. 

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  • 01

    "His mom said 'pick any animal you want,' and he chose the oldest, shyest, chubbiest cat in the shelter"

    Cheezburger Image 10665610496
    via Wholesomepost
  • 02
    When Easton's mom told him, "Pick any animal you want," most kids might have gone for a playful puppy or a tiny kitten. But Easton had something else in mind.
    via Wholesomepost
  • 03
    Cheezburger Image 10665609984
    via Exploits Valley SPCA
  • 04
    At the shelter, he met Tiny - a 10-year-old, quiet, slightly overweight ginger cat who had been passed over time and again.
    via Wholesomepost

  • For a pet to lose their home is tragic enough. For that pet to then never be adopted again because of its age is simply painful. But that's exactly what happens. Tiny was looked over many times until this boy and his mom came to adopt him. If they didn't, there is no way to know how long he could have been sitting there and waiting for his forever home. 

  • 05
    Cheezburger Image 10665610752
    via Exploits Valley SPCA
  • 06
    Tiny had lost his previous home and was living in foster care with his sister, patiently waiting for someone to see past his age and give him a second chance.
    via Wholesomepost
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10665608704
    via Elizabeth Haggie
  • 08
    The moment Easton saw Tiny's picture, he felt something. No hesitation, no doubts instant connection. just an
    via Wholesomepost
  • 09
    Cheezburger Image 10665608960
    via Elizabeth Haggie
  • 10
    At their very first meeting, Tiny curled right into Easton's arms, as if he knew this was where he belonged.
    via Wholesomepost
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    B
    via Elizabeth Haggie
  • 12
    On the car ride home, Tiny stepped out of his carrier and nestled against Easton - a silent promise that they were now family. Since then, they've been inseparable.
    via Wholesomepost
  • 13
    Tiny, a gentle soul often overlooked, found the perfect person in a little boy with a big heart. And Easton found something even more special — a loyal, loving best friend. Because sometimes, the ones who need us the most end up giving us the very best kind of love.
    via Wholesomepost

  • The cat's sister, as far as I was able to find out, was taken in as a foster. We don't know if it was by this family or another. We hope that she was able to find her home with someone this kind too. In fact, we hope that what happens to so many fosters simply happened to her as well, and that she was foster-failed by the people who took her in. 

  • 14
    Shelia209 What a great kid (9 9 G
    via Shelia209
  • 15
    queen_of_spadez These two are truly besties. What a beautiful, sweet little boy.
    via queen_of_spadez
  • 16
    newlevel2121 He picked a great cat for cuddling!! Reminds me of a squashmallow lol so cute
    via newlevel2121
  • 17
    StormFast524 I want a son like him.
    via StormFast524
  • 18
    Famous-Hunt-6461 D'aww... they love each other
    via Famous-Hunt-6461

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aww wholesome cat adorable adoption heartwarming cute adopted story Cats rescue
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