Boyfriend's Reaction to Stray Cats on Vacation Melts Hearts: 'Green Flag'

An adorable video of a young man bonding with stray cats while on vacation has delighted over 1.5 million viewers, with one user saying "he is definitely husband material."

In the video, posted by Mariana Savi, who goes by @marianasavi0 on TikTok and describes herself as a "Brazilian living in Paris," her boyfriend can be seen sitting on the terrace of a restaurant in Greece, with a small multi-colored cat on his lap while he eats his meal, with the text: "When you bf fall in love with every cat he sees in Greece."

The video caption reads: "In my relationship we are always 3. Me my bf and every animal he finds."

In the video, Mariana's boyfriend can be heard saying in reference to the cat: "I put it in the bag, and take it in France. I tell you I put it in my bag."

Stray Cat Problem

Greece has a persistent issue with stray cats and dogs. The southeastern European country has one of the largest populations of stray cats and dogs in the world due to temperate weather, the acceptance of them in society, lack of habitual neutering, and the ongoing strain of the financial crisis that has caused people to give up their pets.

It is estimated that Athens alone may have up to 2 million stray cats and dogs.

Founded in 1992, the Greek Cat Welfare Society supports "neutering of colonies of stray cats to reduce breeding."

On its website, the charity states: "Trap, neuter and return (TNR) is now recognized to be the only humane, effective method of reducing a stray cat population. Over time TNR will greatly reduce cat numbers, providing it is carried out on an organized basis several times a year.

"Having been neutered, stray cats are then released back into their locality. Lower numbers mean the cats become healthier through more adequate supplies of food and less fighting, thereby becoming more acceptable to human populations. This in turn encourages people to care for and feed the cats."

The Greek Cat Welfare Society offers this advice for tourists in Greece:

• Do feed any leftover meat or fish to stray cats by the nearest rubbish bins or in a quiet place where you may see them congregating.
• Don't be frightened that you might catch rabies. There is no record of rabies in cats in Greece since the 1970s.
• Do be careful where you feed animals. They can be unwelcome in some restaurants and tavernas; other customers might not like them. This can lead to restaurant owners taking brutal action.

Cat Lover

Mariana's boyfriend's fondness for felines has gone down very well with TikTok users. "Major green flag," said one user. "Men who love cats it's the most attractive thing lol," said another.

It's possible the cat in this video is a serial charmer as one person commented: "Are you in Crete?"

While another wrote: "Is that Crete? If yes, I saw that exact cat few days ago. That's why I don't visit Greece. I would take every dog and cat with me. They have a very bad stray animal policy."