A video of a family taking in an abandoned cat after seeing their son’s relationship with him has moved viewers on social media.
Over the summer, TikTok user @travelfoodiemom and her family saw their “old neighbors” abandon their cat, Ryobi. Their hearts broke for the innocent feline whose world had been turned upside down. He tugged at their heartstrings: The cat would visit their home, sitting outside the door and wanting attention. But they were hesitant to bring the cat inside.
This all changed when they noticed the special bond that had formed immediately between their son and Ryobi. Any time these two saw each other, it “lit up their day.” Part of the December 1 TikTok video shows the son running over to the cat. The young child didn’t scare him away. Surprisingly, the cat welcomed the attention as the kid gently gave him pets.
Seeing their inseparable bond and knowing the weather was getting colder, the family knew there was only one thing they could do: bring him home.
Ryobi immediately displayed his appreciation by making biscuits (or kneading) on the couch, a sign he felt at ease in his new forever home.
@travelfoodiemom/TikTok
In a follow-up video, the owner said the family brought Ryobi to the vet to get checked, and thankfully he is all healthy. They attempted to bathe him and will try again soon because he still has black crusties on his eyes. Otherwise, he’s been receiving nothing but love and pets. He seems to be gaining weight and his coat is soft, according to the video.
However, the family is quickly learning Ryobi is a bit picky. The mother is working to find wet food he likes to eat. Despite having a bed, he uses the table instead as his sleeping spot. She plans on getting him a cat tower to hopefullyencourage him to stop sleeping on the table.
“So funny how he’s like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be picky and high maintenance now,’ feeling like a king,” the mother told Newsweek via TikTok.
Viewer Reactions
The heartwarming TikTok video has amassed over 413,100 views, 54,600 likes and 864 comments as of Friday. The caption reads: “Welcome home, Ryobi.”
“Your son was petting so softly. A match In heaven,” wrote one person.
A second said: “Ryobi’s already putting in the overtime making those biscuits!”
Another added: “Poor baby, he needed some TLC, thank you for taking him in, will make a good friend.”
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