A senior lady cat has melted hearts on social media after adopting the stray kitten that her owner’s husband randomly brought home.
In a viral video shared on TikTok on Friday, under the username ashjvb91, the tabby senior cat can be seen grabbing the little black kitten by the neck, trying her best to take him up to the top of the cat tree with her.
While she initially struggles to jump with him because of her age and weight, she later managed to get to her favorite tier of the tree with a helping hand from her owner. Meanwhile, the other cat couldn’t be less bothered about the new kitten, hiding away inside the hooded top tier of the cat tree.
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While in this case the cat’s maternal instincts immediately kicked in, it is not always the case when getting a second cat. However, as the owner, there are some steps you can take to make the transition as smooth as possible for both.
Pet wellness experts, Rover, suggest the first step is to create a dedicated kitten-only area to keep the new youngster, so that your established cat doesn’t feel suddenly overwhelmed by their presence.
It is also important to introduce their scents before taking the kitty home, to avoid stressing your older cat. Once familiarized with the smell, they can start meeting behind a baby gate, using treats to make this a positive experience.
Keep an eye out for unwanted behavior and do not let them interact alone until they’re comfortable enough with each other.
Each year 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet ShelterWatch Report found.
Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.
The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 867,000 views and 121,200 likes on the platform.
One user, mollz, commented: “She’s being so sweet, mine peed on the kitten we brought home and hissed for a month straight at the sight of him.”
Stacey said: “Cat distribution system is picking other cats now too! The universe definitely picked that kitten for her!”
Mel wrote: “The other cat in the house is like ‘HELLO??? EXCUSE YOU???” And the poster answered: “She’s really not having it.”
Valkyrie of Valhalla added: “My favorite thing is older cats adopting babies like their own, mine loved the kitten I brought home. She learned quick he behaved if she sat on him.”
Newsweek reached out to ashjvb91 for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.