Cats may come and go as they please, but one woman was amazed when her neighbor’s cat, who she occasionally fed, decided to move into her home completely for his final years.
A video shared by TikTok user @carolinarn1984 showed how the 21-year-old Jesse would arrive at her home for some delicious wet food, leading his original owner to regularly make the journey between their houses and collect her pet.
However, the owner knew there was no stopping him from “coming back for more” and she grew nervous about him constantly crossing the street. The TikToker, from Oregon, explained that after several weeks of this happening, Jesse’s owner decided that “he deserves to live where he wants,” and told her to keep him.
Since the video was posted, it has been viewed more than 786,000 times and received over 105,000 likes in a matter of days. Many social media users were delighted to see how well the senior cat is doing now that he’s moved in with a new family for his twilight years.
Cats will often wander around the neighborhood and make themselves comfortable in other people’s homes, whether the neighbors like it or not. According to the website PetMD, the reasons could include a cat looking for mates if they’re not spayed or neutered, they might be trying to defend their territory, or simply seeking out food. If neighbors feed a cat once or twice, it may lead to a longstanding friendship as the cat will undoubtedly return for more.
In some instances, cats may choose to find solace in another home if there is a disruption in their own, such as a new pet, new people, or house repairs. PetMD notes that any major change which disturbs the cat might cause them to look for shelter elsewhere.
The newest addition to the family has brought plenty of joy and happiness to @carolinarn1984, as she added that “he is the sweetest old man and stole our hearts.”
After going viral, @carolinarn1984 has continued to post more content showing how much “he is loved,” and update her followers on some of his health issues which she is addressing.
Among the 3,600 comments on the post, one person wrote: “He picked you to help him transition beyond this world. It’s a special honor to be that person.”
Another person commented: “I love that his previous owner was able to let him decide.”
@carolinarn1984 Update!!! This sweet old man cat that is 21 years old came out of no where… we found out he lived across the street. We had already fed him wet food a few days before we found that out which kept him coming back for more. His mom tried taking him home a few times but she could not keep him there. It wasnt good he was crossing the street to get to our house. After a few weeks she texted me asking if i had seen him because she had not seen him for awhile… that’s because he moved inside after finding our doggy door. She said he deserves to live where he wants 😁 He is loved! ❤️ He gets wet food several times a day and is looking so much better. He is the sweetest old man and stole our hearts!! #oldmancat #sweet #transformation #21years #catsoftiktok #cat #stray #neighborscat #chosenone #love #happiness #sweetboy #jesse #update #4months #lookingbetter #lovehim @CarolLeAnn ⬅️This was the first video I posted of him
♬ Love – Revember
Others praised the TikTok user for taking Jesse in when he wanted her love, as another comment reads: “Good on you for being a good soul and showing this old fellow such love. He will always remember you and walk along your side.”
Newsweek reached out to @carolinarn1984 via TikTok for comment. We could not verify the details of the situation.
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