Sick Shelter Cat Adopted by 22-Year-Old Man for Unusual Weekend Activity

The friendship between a 22-year-old man and the shelter cat that he rescued has warmed plenty of hearts across the internet.

The pair recently featured in a viral video shared to TikTok on November 4 by co-owner of the cat and girlfriend of the man, Lauren Sorflaten. The man, whose name is Matt, and Pitty Pat the female cat were captured watching football together. Sorflaten jokes in the clip that the pair regularly watch football together, and that Pitty Pat had been adopted for the sole purpose of being Matt's couch and football buddy.

"Ever since he got her, they've been watching football together every weekend, unless he's out with friends," Sorflaten told Newsweek. "She particularly loves to sit in his lap," she added.

The gemologist based in Dallas says that her other half was particularly moved to rehome Pitty Pat because she had been in the shelter's care for over six months, and was unlikely to be adopted any time soon due to an FIV diagnosis.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) defines feline immunodeficiency virus as a viral infection that causes affected cats and kittens to have a weaker immune system in comparison with non-FIV positive felines.

"FIV initially results in a short-lived illness that's often not even noticed by a cat's owner," the RSPCA writes on its website.

"Cats then enter a stage of progressive immune system decline, but many remain without symptoms for many years. In fact, research shows that FIV cats may have a similar life expectancy to uninfected cats," the organization adds.

Despite the additional responsibility associated with adopting a sick animal, Sorflaten and her boyfriend were keen to take Pitty Pat on. The couple had wanted an older cat and have plenty of experience in welcoming pets in need into their home.

"Pitty Pat's owner had passed away so Matt took her in right away. He also rescued a dog about six months later," Sorflaten said.

The Texas-based couple have been together for two years, having adopted two rescue dogs, the viral cat and a horse in the meantime.

What Do the Comments Say?

Since it was shared to the social-media platform by @lollie214, the TikTok post has been liked by almost 500,000 users and commented on more than 2,500 times.

"Thank you for adopting an FIV cat! I worked in a shelter looking after them. It's sad to see them passed over," one user commented.

Another added: "The greenest green flag to ever green flag."

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