Daughter and dad adopt 9-week-old orange kitten Charlie without permission, but he makes mom's heart melt when she notices he likes to FaceTime his birth brother every night

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Oct 6, 2026 3:00 PM EDT

You can't control everything in life, so if an orange kitten is going to randomly appear in your life, you might as well make the best of it. It helps if he's outrageously cute, likes to FaceTime his littermates, and you name him Charlie. 

Purrsonally, I've never been targeted by the Cat Distribution System (not yet, anyway). Maybe it's because I'm too ready. I nearly go to bed every night wishing to find a kitten or cat in need that I can take home and add to our happy feline family. But if you know the CDS, then you know that it often finds you when you least expect it, kind of like love. The CDS brings a cat into your life for a reason: maybe it's to help you grow, to find more compassion, or simply because you had the space and the little kitty had nowhere else to go. 

Over-preparing in life can be just as harmful as under-preparing. With too much preparation, you start to question all your hard work up to that point. It's like looking at the spelling of a word for too long, under enough scrutiny and anxiety, you can even question a 100% factual answer. Without preparing at all, you leave yourself vulnerable to the forces of fate and allow a lot of room for human error. So, purrhaps, I need to let go of the expectation of getting a CDS delivery and learn to live in the meowment. Maybe then I'll be able to see more clearly what is right in front of me. So, CDS, if any stray cats or kittens want to walk in front of my path, the time is now.

The mom in our story below was underprepared and understaffed. Perimenopausal, raising 3 kids and with a house already full of pets, she certainly didn't expect her daughter and husband to sneak an orange kitten into her house without asking purrmission first. But, like any loving mother, she couldn't tell her daughter no, who had already fallen completely in love with the ginger baby, whom she named Charlie. But there was one additional detail that really sold mom on the new pet.

They found out that Charlie likes to FaceTime his littermate brother, and now it has become a nightly tradition. I don't know anyone who could say no to something as cute as that.

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  • 01

    Kitten distribution system has pumpkin spice flavored limited edition!

    Cheezburger Image 10668817920
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 02
    Hi, guys. New here. Meet Charlie. We have racked up some mileage with the distribution system over the years so it seems we got a free upgrade this time. Yay, us!
    via Everythlngisawesome

  • You certainly got a very cute one! Long-haired, big, expressive eyes, and bright orange fur… he's going to be a looker! He might also drive you insane, but that's just par for the course with orange cats. They also tend to be very loving and attached, so even if he drives you crazy, he'll remind you how much you love him a few minutes later.

  • 03
    We have never had an orange cat, so we are trying something new thanks to my tween daughter's friend's neighbor's cat. I am usually just fine with them feeding my kid dinner when she goes over there, so this did feel like a little much.
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 04

    The middle child can either be the peace-maker or the boldest

    Daughter #2 (it's always the second kid, amiright?!) met the litter at 2 days old, bonded specifically with this little orange sausage with a slick back, named him Charlie right then. Never knowing he'd be the most beautiful and only long haired floof out of the bunch.
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 05

    Asking for forgiveness is always the way to go

    Fast forward through 2 months of threats to bring him home, Husband picked #2 up last night and it seems she inherited his 'ask for forgiveness, not permission' philosophy (didn't know it was genetic?) because they both smuggled him through the front door and then straight into my stupid heart.
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 06

    Smaller than a coffee mug!

    Predtrap Diner
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  • 07

    The Universe = the Cat Distribution System

    Nevermind that I'm perimenopausal and raising teen and tween girls and everything and every mile of driving. that comes with that. I feel like this is either exactly when you could use a break....or...OR!....The universe sends you what you think you can't handle just to show how strong you are.
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 08

    You can't fight the forces of nature

    One might protest for a while and say, 'No, Universe. I promise, I'm not capable of what you think I am. I just want to stop waking up at 3am every night. A full night's sleep is really all I want'. And if it isn't clear, Universe and Second Kid are interchangeable in this context. Universe/Second Kid doesn't care. In the end, they both persisted. And here we are.
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 09

    He is pretty cute

    Orange cat energy + second kid energy = the world, and I, never stood a chance. Both a force to be reckoned with on their own, but united they are unstoppable. Because just wook at his wittle face!
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 10

    The most wholesome thing I've read in a long time

    And we look at our daughters and say the same thing! Charlie has been here for 1 night and I already can't wait for the kids to go to school Monday so I can strap him to me all day long while delivering rapid fire kisses to his little bloopy noggin. He's 9w3d old, smaller than an iPhone 14, and enjoys using one to call his birth brother on FaceTime to say goodnight.
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 11

    Nightly FaceTime

    Cheezburger Image 10668818176
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 12

    Bribes tend to work on kids, at least, they did on me

    Next time the friends hang out together we will get them Chick Fil A if they promise not to go next door and bring home a 20+ year commitment. We are maxed out. No more kitty surprise here. Cat brother and cat sister have some adjusting to do, but dog sister is smitten, showed her belly and then.
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 13

    Cats are a lot, but they're worth it

    handed over her neighborhood security paw patrol badge to Charlie in a good faith gesture to win his favor. He took it but is unwilling to offer anything in return just yet. He knows that his cute factor currency is the only thing of value right now. Throw us a yawn, or a tiny baby mew, flop on his back and swat those wittle murder mittens at our fingers and we are absolutely done-zo. Charlie has us rich in love.
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 14
    I look forward to the support group meetings where I will one day, no doubt, get to join in and share my own orange cat story. I hope there are snacks. And so does Charlie.
    via Everythlngisawesome
  • 15
    Mor-KhalCatPrince What a little bebe boy
    via Mor-KhalCatPrince
  • 16
    Thrashstronaut Holy f I quality orange right there. I mean, obviously ADORABLE but zero thought processes going through that magnificent ginger skull
    via Thrashstronaut
  • 17
    * DrTrout-Leon Brain cell sold separately
    via DrTrout-Leon
  • 18
    Epoquetude Pumpkin Spice pspspspspspspsps
    via Epoquetude
  • 19
    sniply5 "We have never had an orange cat" good luck then
    via sniply5
  • 20
    alicecuriouser Don't tell the other cats, but pumpkin spice is the best flavor.
    via alicecuriouser
  • 21
    ScarletDarkstar Oh my, that's a beautiful kitty. I hope Charlie isn't as Diabolical as my Squirrel in a few months. He's going on 5 months old and I had to get him off the hot stove 4 times this morning just to get eggs scrambled. Yesterday he broke a vase full of green onions I was growing, and decided a clean folded blanket was a litter box.
    via ScarletDarkstar
  • 22
    Live-Tomorrow-4865 where's mine? (Kidding... for now! I would love to have an orange goofy boi one day, but, small house + three cats+ three hoomanz + a dog + being very busy/travel plans, now is not the time. Although the CDS doesn't seem to care about any of that, in my experience.
    via Live-Tomorrow-4865
  • 23
    Garnet AndOpal What a beautiful little morsel he is. Love the speckles on his nose. Please give him lots of kisses for me he has my whole heart right - now. I just love the orange ones!! Plus, he is the cutest little stinker I've seen today.
    via GarnetAndOpal

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cat adoption orange cats cute kittens facetime
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