A cat wandered to the right home after roaming the streets. Now, he helps every foster kitten that comes through the door.
Jen, a foster volunteer of Jin's Bottle Babies (a kitten rescue in Arizona), noticed an orange tabby in her backyard about three years ago. She began caring for him and later had him neutered and vetted.
The cat named Romeo showed up with ears that were flatten out to the side as a result of ear mite damage. Though his ears healed up, the scars left him with a permanent "airplane-eared" look.
Jen looked after him along with other community cats. "He wagged his tail more like a dog and his flat ears confused other cats to think that he was angry," Jen told Love Meow.
Romeo didn't have a mean bone in his body and just wanted to get along. When other cats became hostile towards him, Jen decided to intervene.
"I brought him in as a foster to get him healed up after a fight, and turns out, he fit right in."
The tabby boy was an instant love-bug after he got a taste of home. All he wanted was to be doted on. Romeo would follow Jen everywhere around the house for attention and cuddles.
"He is a super loving and cuddly boy. He always wants to be in my lap. He's not shy, and if anyone comes over, he'll climb in their lap for cuddles," Jen shared with Love Meow.
After Romeo took the leap of faith to become an indoor cat, his personality came out in full swing. Jen began to notice something quite adorable and special about him.
"I was pretty surprised by how much he loves the foster kittens. It's the only time he leaves my side. He will go nap in their room and play."
Whenever Jen brings home new kittens, Romeo insists on being near them. He will watch over them every step of the way and make sure they stay out of trouble.
The nurturing tabby has taken the role of Foster Dad, and he is very serious about his duties. If the kittens are five weeks or older, Romeo becomes their mentor and showers them with unconditional love.
"If a kitten is crying, he runs around trying to find and help them. If I make them cry by doing potty time or being slow with the bottle, he head-butts me," Jen told Love Meow.
Watch Romeo and his foster kittens in this video:
Romeo feels accepted by the kittens who are never bothered by his airplane ears. They adore him and enjoy wrestling with his long, waggy tail, and nuzzling up to him when they nap.
"He definitely teaches them thorough bathing. If they're too rough, he bops them on the head to correct them, always very gently. He makes fostering so much easier," Jen told Love Meow.
Romeo seems to have a way to command attention from the rambunctious little kittens. They look up to him and learn from him.
One of the former fosters, Lucy, was alone in her room one day, while her siblings were at the vet. Romeo came to hang out with her and kept her company all day.
"They played and cuddled until the other fosters got home."
"One of Romeo's most important duties is being a Foster Dad. I like to think we do a pretty good job of raising these orphaned kittens, but some jobs are definitely handled better by a feline parent," Jen said.
"We couldn't teach a kitten to keep clean as well as Romeo's enthusiastic bathing sessions."
"He also does a great job teaching them the limits on rough play and biting. He's so gentle when he corrects them even when he's outnumbered by a herd of tail-biters!"
With the help of Romeo, these lucky kittens get to have a parent to show them the ropes and teach them how to be a proper cat.
The sweet-natured orange tabby is loving and nurturing to every kitten that comes his way.
Romeo found his dream home after wandering the streets for quite some time. He was misunderstood by other cats but found acceptance and love at his forever home.
Share this story with your friends. Follow Romeo and Jen's foster kitties on Instagram @chaos.in.cat.shape.
Related story: Sweet Kitten Found in Backyard Has Her Life Turned Around by Kindness