One couple couldn't figure out why a stray cat kept coming to their home. The timid feline didn't want to be pet, but she still kept following the pair and showing up at their house! They finally coerced her inside to find out of she had a chip connected to her owner. That's when the couple got the surprise of their life.
An Animal-Loving Couple
They say that animals can sense trust-worthy people, and that certainly was the case for Erin and Landon. The couple loves animals and has pets of their own.
That must be why one stray cat became interested in the pair. The feline was a tabby, characterized by black and brown stripes. Over and over again, he would show up at their place with no real reason for being there. Eventually, Erin and Landon couldn't ignore it.
Timid But Friendly
The cat started out just visiting about once a week, but that soon grew to every day. The couple wasn't sure what to do about it. As the visits became more frequent, they thought they should see if he had an owner.
This turned out to be a tough feat. Though the cat seemed drawn to them, he didn't want to be pet. He would even roll on his back as though to ask for a belly rub, then run away.
Close But Distant
The cat would always find a way to their home. He would climb on the steps and just stare and Landon and Erin, as though he were keeping tabs on the couple.
Though the cat wouldn't let them too close, he would follow them the minute they turned to walk away. It seemed that the feline was trying to communicate something, but they didn't know what. All they knew was that he didn't have a collar.
Slowly Gaining The Cat's Trust
Landon and Erin were so adamant about unraveling this cat's mystery that they decided to try and gain its trust. The pair would sit on the porch with him for hours even though he didn't want to be pet.
Then they started to offer the tabby treats and food in an effort to show they cared. Landon even gave the feline a name, calling him Kevin. Though Kevin would follow them around, he still wouldn't come inside.
Leaving The Door Open For Kevin
After a few days of sitting on the porch and giving the cat food, Erin had a new idea. She decided to leave her office door open to see if Kevin would wander in.
Eventually, that's exactly what Kevin did. Erin told Bored Panda that the feline "took a few laps around my office and laid down in the hallway like, 'This is my house now.'" Best of all, the cat didn't mind when Erin shut the door behind it.
Finding A Vet
As soon as Kevin came into the house, Erin made him comfortable by wrapping him up in a bathrobe. She then started to search for a vet that could see them as soon as possible.
Erin wasn't making a vet visit just to get the cat a check-up. She wanted to see if there was a microchip in the cat that might lead them to his owner. If Kevin was lost, then time was of the essence.
Erin And Landon Knew What Losing A Cat Felt Like
Erin and Landon were very sensitive to the fact that Kevin might have an owner. Even though he didn't have a collar, they still wanted to see if there was a chip as soon as possible.
Part of the reason that they were concerned about Kevin's potential owners is that they knew what it felt like to lose a cat. One of their pets, a feline named Max, had passed not long before Kevin started showing up.
Getting An Appointment
Once Kevin wandered in the house and Erin had a hold of him with her bathrobe, she knew it was time to make an appointment with the vet. She started searching online for one that would see them sooner than later.
Fortunately, Erin was able to find a veterinary office that could make her an appointment as soon as the next day! At last, this weeks-long mystery was going to be solved. The vet would be able to scan for a microchip.
The Verdict
The next day, Erin and Landon loaded Kevin into the car for his vet appointment. When they got there, the vet used a device that would be able to detect any microchip in the feline.
As fate would have it, Kevin was without a microchip. This meant that Erin and Landon would have no way of knowing if he even had an owner. Unless they found a missing sign, they could keep the feline as their own.
The Big Surprise
The missing microchip wasn't the only news that the vet had for Landon and Erin. As it turned out, Kevin was a female! The couple shrugged it off and decided that the female cat would still be called Kevin.
As it turned out, that was the least of their worries. The vet proceeded to reveal that Kevin was pregnant! All of a sudden, it made sense why Kevin was so adamant about getting inside to safety.
The X-Rays
The vet showed Erin and Landon Kevin's x-rays, which revealed multiple little kittens in her belly. While the news was surprising enough, what they found out next was even more jaw-dropping.
The vet explained that Kevin was already far along and could go into labor as soon as that night! It seemed that the feline wasn't just looking for safety, but was also in need of a place to birth her litter. Fortunately, she'd come to the right house.
What To Expect When Your Cat's Expecting
Erin and Landon hadn't ever had a female pet before, so taking care of a pregnant cat was completely new to them. They also hadn't taken care of newborn kittens before, so there was much to learn.
The couple didn't know how much time they would have to prepare, so they promptly started doing their research. They also contacted friends who had been through the process before and could give them insight and tips.
Dog And Cat Siblings
One other obstacle that Erin and Landon faced was their dog, Murphy. Fortunately, the canine was used to being around cats because of the couple's former feline, Max. Still, that didn't guarantee that Murphy and Kevin would get along, especially considering she was a stray cat.
Fortunately, the two got along swimmingly. Erin told Bored Panda, "We were really hesitant to introduce Kevin and Murphy at first, but Kevin took the initiative and went right up to him, and they've been best friends since."
Waiting And Preparing
Kevin didn't go into labor as soon as the vet had warned, which was a relief to Erin and Landon. The time enabled them to prepare for not only the delivery but also what would come next.
They knew they couldn't keep all the kittens, so they contacted Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter. The local shelter was able to provide them with more information on fostering the kittens. When the felines grew old enough, the shelter would take over.
Kevin Delivered Four Kittens!
For four days, Erin and Landon hurried to prepare everything while anticipating Kevin's delivery. Then the day came! Erin prepared a tub with blankets in it for the newborn kittens.
The first one arrived at 3:50 p.m. and by 4:55, two more had been birthed! The last kitten took a little longer coming out, arriving at 6:20 in the evening. After two and a half hours of giving birth, Kevin could finally relax and nurse her kittens.
Speaking To Her Kittens
Erin noted that Kevin has always been very talkative, and that continued when her kittens arrived. Erin told Bored Panda that she talked "nonstop" when they first found her.
Now that Kevin has kittens, she has someone who really speaks her language. Erin said of the cat, "She has full conversations with her kittens, which is cute to hear from the other room." We can't imagine anything cuter than a feline meowing with her newborns.
Murphy Immediately Loved The Kittens
Erin and Landon's dog, Murphy, proved that not all dogs have a rivalry with cats. Not only was he sweet with Kevin from the start, but he also loved her kittens right away.
Murphy got to meet the litter five days after their birth, and he's been like a loving uncle ever since. Erin told Bored Panda, "He is obsessed with her kittens, and the kittens love to climb all over him, pounce on his tail, and sneak up and stalk him."
The Next Step For The Little Ones
Every day the kittens were growing at a fast rate, which meant they were that much closer to going to their forever homes. The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter would get the kittens chipped, vaccinated, and fixed.
Once those things happened, the kittens would be ready to be adopted. The question became who would take them. Though Erin and Landon couldn't take on all four kittens, they wanted to be sure they went to the best home possible.
Finding The Kittens' Forever Home
One thing that mattered to Erin and Landon was that the kittens stay in pairs when they were adopted. This meant that someone would have to be willing to take on two kittens at the same time.
Fortunately, their story had captured the hearts of some of their friends. Two of the kittens were adopted by one of their friends in Austin, and the other two by their old San Francisco roommate. This way the couple could continue seeing how the kittens were doing.
Kevin Is Part Of The Family
When it came to Kevin, the couple decided that she was officially their's. While no one would replace their beloved cat Max, they now had a sweet feline to fill the empty space in the household.
Plus, Kevin would be able to be reunited with her kittens since they were all adopted by Erin and Landon's friends. Kevin turned out to be the perfect match for the couple, and they were exactly was she needed, too.
A Change Of Plans
Of Kevin's litter, there was one kitten that stood out among the rest. It was the only female kitten in the litter, and she struggled to gain weight as her brothers hogged all the milk.
Erin took notice and helped ensure the kitten nursed properly. The two grew attached, and plans changed for her adoption. Erin and Landon decided that they would keep not only Kevin but also her female kitten, who they named Cali.
Growing Up With Her Mom
Though Cali was the runt of the litter at first, she quickly caught up to the rest, thanks to Erin's help. The beautiful tortoiseshell kitten grew into a gorgeous cat.
It's hard to believe that the cat to the left is the mother of the cat to the right. Kevin and Cali are about the same size now! Kevin got to see one of her kittens grow all the way up, and she'd get to see the others every now and again, too.
Grown And Reunited
Erin and Landon still get to cat-sit the other kittens in Kevin's litter. This image shows one of the red tabbies from the litter who Erin was watching for the day.
He's perched on the windowsill in between Kevin and Cali. Cali is even licking her brother's fur! It's not often that a family of cats get to remain close throughout their lives. Thanks to Erin and Landon's generosity, the felines get to remain in contact.
One Happy Pet Family
As for Murphy, he's still over-the-moon about the new additions to the family. The dog still loves to snuggle and play with Cali, who he's known since she was a kitten.
All three pets are often playing together or snuggled up on the couch. They don't just tolerate one another but are genuinely close. The three pets look like one happy family on their own, and it's all thanks to Erin and Landon for being such amazing caretakers.
