According to the ASPCA, there are millions and millions of cats roaming the streets of the biggest US cities. Many of these cats avoid humans at all costs – they’re accustomed to the solitary lifestyle they’ve ended up with, and they’re far from happy to hang out with anyone.
Moreover, we can’t forget about the fact that many of these cats aren’t abandoned at all.
Feral cats have never been pets, live like raccoons, roam the alleyways, and fend for themselves. Feral cats can benefit from getting fed, spayed, and neutered – but they’re better off left alone on the street rather than rescued.
Stray cats, however, aren’t the same. Stray cats were abandoned, left, or lost beforehand, and they’re roaming the streets hoping someone’s going to notice and rescue them. Stray cats sometimes crave human affection so much that they’re willing to “adopt” an unsuspecting human as a new caretaker.
Stray cats adopt humans by following them around, hopping on them, or rubbing against them on the street.
Some strays resort to more cunning methods. They might show up at your doorstep, meowing for food, shelter, and attention, or make themselves comfortable on your porch without you even knowing.
What would you do on the off chance that a stray cat decided to adopt you? We hope you’d do the same thing that Kenya, a pet groomer from Denver, Colorado, did when she was adopted by an adorable, ginger and white stray kitten.
Circling back to the beginning of the story, the ginger and white kitten appear outside the home of a Good Samaritan who happened to be allergic to cats. He was a dog owner, though, and he brought the little guy to a groomer down the street to see whether there was something she could do to help.
Kenya was more than happy to set up a spot for the kitten and contact the nearest shelters and rescues to check what was the best way to approach the situation. She even searched the neighborhood to see whether someone was looking for the kitten – but she was pretty sure that the kitten was a stray.
She noticed that the poor little thing didn’t have a collar or a microchip and she decided to take him home. She planned to keep the kitten overnight and continue her search for help through rescues and shelters the following day.
But everything changed when the kitten arrived at Kenya’s apartment. When he saw Kenya’s puppy, Edward, he couldn’t contain himself.
He rushed toward Edward like he had known him his entire life and he curled right next to Edward’s legs. He was in love with Edward from the moment he saw him, and Edward seemed to have felt the same way about the kitten. These two looked like long-lost brothers next to each other.
The two started following each other around the apartment, snuggling with each other, and getting overall comfortable with each other. There was no doubt that Kenya wouldn’t be able to separate them.
Kenya didn’t even want to think about the possibility of bringing the kitten to a shelter or a rescue the following day.
She wanted to keep the baby boy, but she was worried that someone might come looking for him. She decided to wait a while longer, but she was trying to remember that she might have to say goodbye sooner or later.
A few weeks went by and nobody came to claim the kitten. That’s when Kenya decided to make things official and adopt the kitten. Edward and Kenya decided to name him Popsicle, but they both agreed that Popsicle was Edward’s kitten.
Even though Edward was a little annoying with all the affection and attention he kept showering Popsicle with, there was no doubt that the kitten was taken care of. Edward and Popsicle became more than best buddies – they became brothers!
Popsicle wanted to be a part of Edward’s world so badly that he kept storming out the door every time Kenya tried to take Edward for a walk.
Over time, she figured she might as well get a little leash for Popsicle, too. Popsicle was an energetic kitten and he needed an outlet to get that energy out before bedtime. Kenya was over the moon when she figured out she could take both of them for walks.
Popsicle was great at walking on a leash and he followed Kenya’s lead to a tee. Popsicle loved hopping on the highest counters, hanging out on top of the fridge, and watching over everyone from the top of the door. Whenever he wanted to cuddle, he hopped on Kenya’s shoulder and hung out there.
Kenya didn’t mind that, whatsoever, and she encouraged the baby boy to do whatever he wanted to do. She wanted Popsicle to know he was home with a family that adored everything he stood for. Nowadays, Popsicle continues to make Kenya and Edward’s days brighter and better.
“He’s the best friend anyone could ask for,” Kenya admits. Popsicle and Edward do everything together, and Popsicle continues to make friends with everyone he meets because he’s that adorable.
We couldn’t be happier to hear that a stubborn stray kitten managed to adopt a human and a dog without batting an eye. Way to go, Popsicle!