Couple Adopts 3-Year-Old Rescue Cat Instead of Kitten After He 'Chose' Them

A video of a cat at a shelter that "chose" his new owners has gone viral on TikTok.

The clip was shared by Bella Wella (@bella.dobrinia) and has 998,000 views at the time of writing. The footage was captured in San Diego, California, according to the post.

A message overlaid on the clip says, "We went to the shelter for a kitten, but we adopted a 3-year-old stray that chose us."

The footage shows a man stroking a gray-haired cat standing up in an enclosure at the shelter. Another hand is also seen petting the cat before the feline later lunges into the man's arms.

A caption shared with the post reads: "We fully intended to get a female kitten but left with this 3y.o (year old) male."

Every year, around 3.2 million cats enter shelters across the country and about 2.1 million are adopted, according to 2019 data compiled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Strays are "often found on the streets and brought in by Good Samaritans or local law authorities" and "unchecked stray populations tend to grow in areas without accessible and affordable spay/neuter services," the ASPCA said.

Among the millions of animals that enter shelters and rescues, adult cats and neonatal kittens (newborns aged up to around 4 weeks old) form a large portion of those in need of a home, says the Humane Society of the United States.

Some of these animals are "victims of cruelty and may have behavioral or medical issues," the society notes. "But many more are surrendered by loving families who can't access affordable, pet-friendly housing or veterinary care."

According to another video shared by the poster of the viral clip, their new feline friend was a "neighborhood street cat" for three years before being "surrendered to the shelter after being attacked by a dog."

The cat remained inside the box that he was brought home in, looking "stunned" for around five minutes, explained a caption shared with the video.

The cat adoption story in the latest video has melted the hearts of users on TikTok.

Madison wrote: "Three is still a baby, welcome home baby, you'll be so loved with your new family."

Alexabriann wrote, "he said 'i'm coming home with you,'" while Christine said, "Oh he is precious. He chose you."

Joanna noted: "Omg [oh my god]! The way he reached for you!! I wish your new family all the best!"

User melmyers001 said: "So many sweet older cats! He said just give me a chance!"

K.M. wrote, "more people need to adopt older cats. they deserve love too."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

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