When a pregnant couple fell in love with a cat at the shelter, they were told that they couldn't adopt him because he wouldn't do well around kids. But they persisted, and now they can't believe how special his bond with their daughter is.
A video shared on Instagram on Wednesday, under username @hernameisginnyofficial, shows the blue-eyed kitty gently playing with his toddler sister, watching over her like a real big brother would.
"POV [point of view]: you're a shelter cat looking to get adopted by a pregnant couple but your adoption papers say 'no kids," reads layover text. A caption explains: "This was us two years ago, deciding to adopt BamBam despite the shelter recommending he be adopted in a home without pets or kids. If only we could have shown them the bond he would develop with our daughter."
The poster, 33-year-old Krista Lecuyer, from Ontario, Canada, told Newsweek that when they first met BamBam in shelter, they could immediately tell that he was a sweet, docile cat who just needed a loving home to thrive.
But when they inquired, the shelter wouldn't allow them to adopt him. The fluffy feline had been in shelter for months, unable to find a good home. He was labeled as anorexic because he wouldn't eat while at the shelter and he had digestive and health issues as a result. But he was also labeled as not good with kids.
"The family that gave him up said he was no good with kids and the shelter said that he shouldn't be with other pets, but we didn't know much more than that. Because we had another cat and I was 5 months pregnant at the time, the shelter said no to us."
Lecuyer didn't give up, and she emailed the shelter after she got home, asking about BamBam again, because she had a gut feeling that his behavior was not due to his personality, but rather his environment. Again they said no, but then a few days later, she got a call that changed everything.
"One of the animal behaviorists called me and said yes, we could adopt BamBam if we were willing to put the effort in to making sure he had a good home and gave him time to adapt."
After adoption, the couple spent the next 4 months actively socializing BamBam and Ginny, the 14-year-old cat they had adopted a year earlier who is now a social media star, while preparing for the arrival of their baby girl.
A proper introduction sets the basis for peaceful coexistence, and often for a beautiful friendship. A Catster article medically reviewed by Dr. Lauren Demos says that the first thing to do is to create separate areas where they can feel safe.
After the cats adapt to their new areas, you should move on to scent exchange, letting each cat explore the other feline's space, to get familiar with their scent. The next step is to introduce them face-to-face, always under your supervision.
Only allow them to interact unsupervised when you are sure that they fully enjoy each others' company.
This is what the poster did during Ginny and BamBam's socialization period, and it worked perfectly. "We're very proud of the persistence, effort and research we put into socializing the two cats before we introduced a new baby," Lecuyer said.
Almost immediately after successfully socializing the cats, the poster's daughter was born, and BamBam, the same cat the poster had been told not to adopt because he wasn't good with kids, instantly bonded with her.
"He sat next to my daughter the night she came home from the hospital and hasn't left her side since. When she cried, he would cry. When we tuck her in at night and read stories to her, he joins us.
"Our daughter thinks BamBam likes to read but it's her he likes. When we go get her up in the morning, BamBam is always there to greet her. The two of them have a very sweet and loving relationship.
"Her relationship with Ginny took more time to develop but today is just as sweet. We are very lucky our cats have been so adaptable and loving with every life change we throw their way."
Now that the girl is a toddler, the couple is teaching her to be gentle with the cats, narrating the felines' behavior to her so she can learn how to approach them.
"We say things like 'BamBam is purring, he's happy to see you!' Or 'BamBam is saying no. He's done playing now.' And we're always saying 'Gentle hands!' To remind her that we pet him with our hands. It's important to protect BamBam and I think he knows we're advocating for him because he trusts us, and now trusts her to head-butt him, cuddle him and play with him.
"We are welcoming our baby boy within the next month, due Christmas Eve. We know BamBam and Ginny will be just as loving and attentive with this new baby."
The video went viral on social media and it has so far received over 2.3 million views and 208,070 likes on the platform.
One user, Elizmose, commented: "So sweet!! That's his baby too, he knew her before she was even born!!"
Devonwalpole said: "It's clear Bammers in fact actually needed children in his life to thrive and not the opposite! So happy for your growing family."
Jessir87 added: "I would be willing to bet that the previous family had kids that were terrible to this poor kitty. And instead of the parents reprimanding the kids and teaching them how to coexist with pets, they gave this angel away instead. So sad. Their loss is your gain though. They way they look at each other is so loving and sweet."
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.
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