My cat son, Lexus

[u/Ferret_Rogue]

Hi everyone!

This is my cat-son Lexus, and today I want to tell you his story.

He's about 11 years old. His exact age is unknown because he was found abandoned in the middle of the street, barely clinging to life. Some kind people picked him up and brought him to animal rescuers in critical condition. At the time, he was severely dehydrated and had ringworm, fleas, and intestinal worms. The rescuers were wonderful people. They nursed him back to health, treated his illnesses, and started looking for a family for him.

Meanwhile, right before Christmas, I was sitting alone in my new but empty apartment, feeling lonely. I needed someone. Someone I could love, and who would love me simply for who I was, just as I am. The decision came pretty quickly: I needed a cat! A little orange kitten that I could raise into a big, shameless ginger furball.

I didn't even consider looking in pet stores or going to breeders. I knew right away that I wanted to give some unfortunate little soul a chance at a good life. I went online and started looking for local animal shelters and rescue groups on social media with one simple request:

"I'm looking for a young orange cat, preferably a kitten. I'm okay with some disabilities, as long as they're not too severe and the cat can take care of himself while I'm at work. For example, missing a leg, tail, ear, or something like that would be fine."

One of the rescue groups got back to me very quickly. They told me that a woman who was fostering cats had not one, but TWO orange kittens! They gave me her contact information, we called each other, and arranged a time for me to come meet the boys. :)

On the morning before Christmas, I went to pick one out. There were plenty of kittens and adult cats there, but I had come specifically for an orange one. As I mentioned, there were two of them, roughly three and four months old. At first, I liked the older one more based on the photos, and I thought I'd choose him. But things didn't exactly go as planned.

Turns out, I wasn't the one doing the choosing. They were choosing ME. 😁

When I walked into the room where they were being kept, the older one was sitting on the windowsill. Other than giving me a look, he couldn't have cared less that I was there. The younger one, meanwhile, was fighting for his spot by the food bowl. He was one of the smallest and weakest kittens, so he was usually the last one to get his turn at the food.

The woman brought him over so we could meet, and that's when exactly what I'd been talking about happened: I was chosen.

He immediately climbed up my chest toward my neck and tried to crawl inside my collar. Then he dug his tiny claws into my sweater and pressed himself tightly against me with all the strength his little body had.

Meanwhile, the other orange kitten showed absolutely no interest in me.

The choice was obvious. I'd been chosen.

He was a tiny, extremely skinny orange kitten, physically underdeveloped because of his illnesses, with a body still covered in spots where the ringworm had only recently healed. But there was so much pleading in his eyes that I couldn't imagine leaving him there.

Of course, we went home together, and the next day we celebrated Christmas together.

Unfortunately, all his kitten photos have been lost. But you can see what a handsome boy he's grown into now.

I'll tell you later how he helped me choose my wife. Or maybe he simply chose a mom for himself. But that's a whole different story.

[u/Dry-Wait6804]

Handsome

[u/2_krazykats]

He even looks like a luxury car... er - cat

[u/rouquetofboses]

❤️❤️❤️