Tabby Owner Rescues Litter of Kittens, So Her Cat Can Pick 'Forever Friend'

Choosing a new pet can be difficult, which is why one cat owner decided to bring home a litter of rescue kittens and let her foster cat pick his new best friend.

In 2018, Kuh Tran fostered Leo the cat, who had "struggled to find a home," and after falling in love with him, it seemed only fitting to permanently adopt him. After some time, it became clear that Leo needed some feline company around the house, so when Tran heard about 3 rescue kittens in need of help, it seemed like the perfect way to find Leo's new sibling.

Tran, from Orange County, California, explained to Newsweek that the "tiny survivors were found on a boat" at just 2 weeks old, and she knew they needed to be nursed back to health. "Seeing how young they were and realizing the owner of the boat had little knowledge about caring for them, I offered to foster all three kittens and took this opportunity to let Leo choose his forever friend," Tran continued.

The three siblings were named Pluto, Serena, and Weasley, and while they were all lovable, it seemed that 5-year-old Leo had a particular favorite with Pluto. He gradually warmed up to the three rescues, and there was no way that Tran could possibly separate him from Pluto after seeing the loving bond they shared.

"From the moment Pluto was introduced to Leo, he displayed a strong attachment towards him. It was funny because Leo would get annoyed with the kittens when they would attack his tail or just minding his own business. Over time, Leo grew fond of all the kittens, but Pluto seemed to be the best friend he couldn't stay away from.

"At one point, whenever he heard the kittens crying, he would get really concerned and run out to see what was going on. I would even catch him sneaking into the gated kitten area and napping in their bed."

Tran was incredibly surprised that Leo and Pluto grew so close, as she had assumed that two males would be hostile and territorial, but there was no denying the "special bond" between these two.

Several weeks after being rescued, Pluto, now 4 months old, was officially adopted by Tran and joined the family, while his siblings, Serena and Weasley, were adopted by one of Tran's friends and their cousin, so all three kittens found their forever home.

It was certainly an unusual way of picking a new pet, but Tran loved seeing the friendship form between Leo and Pluto and couldn't resist sharing it on their Instagram account (@tabbykatbros). Since the Instagram Reel was posted on February 5, it has already been viewed more than 10.9 million times and gained over 962,000 likes.

Social media users can't get enough of seeing how "they chose each other," leading to an overwhelmingly positive response.

"It seems the majority of people were touched by Leo and Pluto's story and genuine bond, and appreciated the dedication and effort that went into fostering the kittens," Tran told Newsweek.

"Pluto and his siblings are just a few examples of the countless animals in need of loving homes. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of Pluto and his siblings' journey. This experience reminded me of my love for fostering and capturing memories I can share with others."

With more than 2,330 comments on the viral post already, many Instagram users were quick to thank Tran for sharing the adorable clip. One comment reads: "This is the cutest way to adopt a kitten. My cats were rescued from dangerous situations, and did not choose each other, which caused them to be stressed. This is beautiful and thoughtful."

Another person wrote: "this is such a great idea, but i would end up keeping them all and having a million."

"Appreciate that you saved all those cute kitties," another Instagram user wrote.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.