Disclaimer: Kittens make great gifts ONLY when the recipient already wants a kitty and is financially and emotionally prepared to take on the responsibility of a pet. Adopting a cat means a 15- to 20-year commitment, which includes paying vet bills, cleaning up vomit, and scooping litter boxes. Never give an animal to someone who is not prepared to care for her.
Okay. That being said, when the stars align and a person who really wants a cat gets a cat, the results can be magical enough to warm the hardened heart of even the staunchest Grinch. Don’t believe me? Check out these five videos of people’s gosh-darned dreams coming true and try not to smile.
1. Is this real life or just fantasy?
When this boyfriend of the year surprises his girlfriend with the kitten she’s been dying to adopt, her reaction is the textbook definition of love at first sight. “I thought I was dreaming,” she says as she gives the tiny orange tabby a gentle squeeze.
2. So excited she might vomit, maybe?
This video’s title promises that this woman is more excited than any adult human has ever been to receive a surprise kitten. Admittedly, her freakout is fairly ballad-worthy — but that’s only because no one has ever surprised me with a kitten before. (Note to friends and family: This does not mean I want a kitten. I already have one, and he just attacked my feet as I walked to the bathroom.)
3. “Where the f*** is it?”
In a hurry to get to work, this girlfriend isn’t in the mood for any of her boyfriend’s shenanigans. When he says he has a surprise for her and she hears said surprise meowing, she demands in no uncertain terms to know the kitten’s whereabouts. When she finds a tiny tortoiseshell snuggled in a stocking hanging on the wall, she forgets all about clocking in on time.
4. “Every time I open a box, I hope there are kittens in it.”
When those brilliant pranksters at BuzzFeed decided to surprise a bunch of cat lovers with a box of kittens, the results where about what you’d expect: a lot of shrieking, hand waving, and incredulous statements regarding the size and fluffiness of the baby cats. The people in the video were told they’d be taste-testing chocolate, but nothing can make you indifferent to the promise of sweet treats faster than a tiny kitty nibbling on your fingertips.
5. Cat rescues for the win
This little girl’s parents adopted two kittens from MEOW Foundation and filmed her meeting them for the first time on Christmas morning. Once she finishes crying, this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship — not to mention an important lesson in the importance of adopting shelter pets.
Read more from Angela Lutz:
- Bubba’s Bad Advice: I Have No Idea What I’m Doing!
- Cats Can Thrive in Wheelchairs — Ask These Two Companies
- Guardian Angels Cat Rescue Gives the “Unwanted” a Chance
About Angela: This not-crazy-at-all cat lady loves to lint-roll her favorite dress and go out dancing. She also frequents the gym, the vegan coffee joint, and the warm patch of sunlight on the living room floor. She enjoys a good cat rescue story about kindness and decency overcoming the odds, and she’s an enthusiastic recipient of headbutts and purrs from her two cats, Bubba Lee Kinsey and Phoenix.
