For most people who adopt a cat, the process will involve getting in touch with a rescue or shelter, meeting the felines there, and eventually bringing one home. But this isn’t the case for all cat parents.
Sometimes, a cat can come into your life in a more unconventional way, and you’ll find yourself playing with the best cat toys even if you didn’t exactly plan on it. People online often joke about there being a cat distribution system that will send you a cat when the universe decides you’re ready for one, and one couple who adopted a kitten a year ago have shared an update on social media.
Courtnie and Nate, a couple who travel in a rescue van, were approached by a beach worker in Mexico with a bag of kittens found in a bag of trash. They adopted a gray kitten, who they called Friend, while other ‘van lifers’ – people who live in vans or motor homes – decided on bringing home a new kitten, too.
After a year, they returned to the beach where they first met Friend to look back on the past 12 months with the cat in their lives. Remembering the moment they first met Friend, Courtnie says, “They were luckily found just in time, because although they were very small and really, really scared, they seemed to be in pretty good health.”
She admits, “Our main concern was really just that our dog Tonkins was not gonna be having it. And at first, he was really not pleased and was doing everything he could to avoid her.”
However, cat and dog have learned how to coexist peacefully with each other. And, while Courtnie explains that she was never a cat person, she’s now “obsessed” with having a cat. “We love you Friend, and we’re so happy to have you in our family,” she finishes.
The couple’s video marking Friend’s first anniversary went viral, with over 90,000 likes and hundreds of comments across Instagram and TikTok, with viewers praising Courtnie and Nate for giving Friend a home and marveling over the cat’s cuteness.
If you’re thinking of bringing a cat into your life when you already have a dog, or vice-versa, you might be asking, ‘Should I let my dog play with my cat?’ It can take time for cats and dogs to get used to each other, so it’s a good idea to supervise them and keep track of their body language. And, when you first bring home your new furry friend, it’s best to start small – even having them ignore each other in the same room is a positive.
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