A young woman was at the shelter looking to adopt a cat. She decided to take a look around in the FIV+ room.
While she was bending down to pet a kitty, a ginger and white cat, named Benny, came running.
"Benny came over and forcibly climbed on one of my thighs and just loafed there," reddit user LoogaBeluga told Love Meow.
The kitty was 11 years old, and before they met, Benny had been in the shelter for about 10 years. Somehow, he had been overlooked all this time. When the sweet ginger boy saw his human friend, he held her with his paws as if he was determined to go home with her that day.
"I looked up at the volunteer and instantly said 'I'll take this one!'"
The volunteer was surprised by how fast everything happened after she had been at the shelter several times searching for a cat. Within seconds after Benny found her, she made her decision.
"I'm not sure how Benny slipped through the cracks when I visited the shelter previous times, but I'm so glad we ended up together. It was one of those decisions that felt like it clicked and the cliche phrase of 'who chose who?'," she told Love Meow.
When it was time to head home, they assembled a temporary carrier out of cardboard. "As they did so they mentioned 'this can be the hardest part, getting them into the box' and as she was saying that he jumped right in."
Benny was more than ready to go home!
Since that day, Benny has blossomed into a cuddlebug. Despite his age, he's still a kitten at heart.
FIV+ kitties can live a healthy, happy and long life. Benny is older but he is just as wonderful of a companion as any other cat.
"He's doing great these days. He's snuggly and talkative and has such a sweet disposition. He loves 'making biscuits' on blankets and sitting on his perch near the window," Benny's human told Love Meow.
Benny waited almost a decade to find his forever home. "He's 13 now, has no teeth, he's FIV+, he tolerates me singing 'Bennie and the Jets' very frequently, and he's a big fan of snuggling," she said.
"I love Benny very very much!"
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