A cat who wandered to his neighbor's doorstep for help, has found a wonderful family to love for life.
Debbie Harris, a foster volunteer based in Virginia, was contacted by her coworker about a cat who had been abandoned.
The fluffy cat was locked out of the house that he'd known all his life, and wandered to neighbors' homes down the street. His original family moved away and left him behind.
The cat was going house to house for shelter and food until he showed up outside the home of Debbie's coworker, who tried her best to keep him safe, fed and warm.
The sweet kitty would follow his human around, and even befriended her family dog. Since her husband is highly allergic, she wanted to find the right home that could give the cat the undivided attention he so deserved.
"I picked up this big ball of white fluff and brought him home to foster. He is a Ragdoll and he is absolutely magnificent," Debbie shared with Love Meow.
He came out of his carrier and walked around his new digs like he owned the place already. He went to the food station and started chowing down. The fluffy kitty quickly proved to have a voracious appetite.
After a trip to the vet, the 12-pound glorious cat was estimated to be around 2-3 years old. He was treated for an upper respiratory infection and had several clumps of matted fur removed to give him some much-needed relief.
"He was such a good boy at the vet appointment. He greeted and rubbed on every staff member and just purred away," Debbie shared.
It was early February when he was found. "With Valentine's Day approaching, I thought it would be fitting to name this sweet boy after a famous lover. So, his name is Valentino."
Once he was all cleaned up and groomed, the sweet cat flaunted his luscious long coat as he strutted around the house. He was so happy to be an indoor cat again, constantly rubbing up on his humans' legs as if to thank them for saving him.
As he continued to recover, he became more snuggly and playful than ever. "He is living up to his name and the Ragdoll reputation," Debbie said. "He discovered toys, probably for the first time in a very long time."
With his new-found energy, Valentino started to play like a kitten again. He would climb on a cat tree or scamper around the house, getting the zoomies.
Watch the sweet kitty in this cute video:
"He was out of the sloth mode and got these short bursts of friskiness. He was enjoying his new pampered life."
The initial plan was to foster the cat until he was healthy and ready for adoption, but fluffy boy had a different idea. "My family was quickly falling under his spell," Debbie said.
Debbie introduced the friendly feline to her resident cats Jojo and Lil Man. After getting through their awkward getting-to-know each other phase, they started to hang out a bit more, but Jojo the calico insisted on calling all the shots.
It took some time for the cats to finally sort out their roles under the same roof, but once the harmony was restored, Valentino began to spend more time with Lil Man (his best friend), while Jojo the boss cat would come to observe and supervise whenever she pleased.
The sweet boy never left his foster home as he crept his way into the hearts of the family.
"Valentino is one of my foster fails. In animal rescue, this means that I fostered him, fell in love, and decided to adopt him myself," Debbie shared.
"I still have a hard time understanding how a family could sell their home, pack up their belongings, and leave their pets behind. Luckily for him, he found his way to me."
Perhaps, the sweet kitty knew from the start that he had found the family of his dreams, when he stepped paw into Debbie's home.
Share this story with your friends. Follow Debbie's cats and fosters on Instagram.
Related story: Cat with Big Eyes Begs for Attention and Love from Everyone and Hopes Someday His Dream Comes True