A kitten stayed at a garden center of a retail chain until a family took him in. Their house cat decided to help.
Charlie and GusSparkleCatRescue
Employees at Tractor Supply noticed a little orange tabby bouncing around, looking for food and attention.
The kitten was born to an elusive community cat who left the area with the other kittens, returning only at night. The little tabby, however, chose to stay and made the store his temporary home.
The employees searched for the other kittens, but the tabby was the only one they found.
He was born to a community catSparkleCatRescue
"He was living in the garden center, and people that work there called him 'Tractor.' He was very social and a total ham," Stephanie Grantham, the president of Sparkle Cat Rescue, shared with Love Meow.
He survived on the kindness of the people at the store. When he was around eight weeks old, they wanted to get him into a rescue that could ensure a bright future for him.
He found shelter in the garden center at the storeSparkleCatRescue
They contacted Heidi, a regular at the store who helps several cat colonies around town. Knowing the kitten needed a foster home, Heidi reached out to Stephanie and asked if she had room for a little kitten.
"Thankfully, we had a foster who had just had an adoption, opening up a slot for him."
SparkleCatRescue
The kitten greeted Heidi with his endearing tippy taps, purring and meowing eagerly. The friendly little guy was delighted to have a visitor and happily let Heidi scoop him up and place him in a carrier.
"I never saw him until the day before I was able to pick him up. It was wild how friendly he was," said Heidi, who plans to return to find the mother cat and get her the help she needs.
SparkleCatRescue
The kitten, renamed Gus, received a clean bill of health from the vet and then moved into his foster home with Lori and Bryan.
After hiding under the bed briefly, Gus mustered the courage to explore his new space, inspecting his toys and all the amenities. That evening, he transformed into a little love bug, seeking attention and cuddles from his foster parents.
Gus moved into his foster homeSparkleCatRescue
The next day, Gus noticed Charlie, a resident cat who looked like a bigger version of himself, and bounded over to greet him. After a few curious sniffs, Charlie warmly welcomed the little newcomer into the fold.
Before long, the two buddies were nestled together by the window, sharing a spot on the cat tree.
Gus and CharlieSparkleCatRescue
Gus romps with Charlie throughout the day. Even though he's much smaller, he holds his own when playing and wrestling with Charlie. "He charges at Charlie full steam ahead and jumps on him," Lori shared.
"Charlie and Gus are like typical brothers. They love playing with each other, and I often find Charlie washing Gus's little head."
SparkleCatRescue
Now, Gus spends his days following his foster brother, plotting all sorts of antics around the house. "Charlie will often run up to little Gus and pounce on him. Surprisingly, Gus will do the same thing to Charlie even though Charlie is a little over twice his size."
"Gus is a little talker and can be very vocal, especially if someone doesn't want to play with him. He loves feeding time and knows exactly when it's time to be fed."
He has a lot to saySparkleCatRescue
"He will finish off his bowl and wait for the other cats to finish theirs so he can go gobble up the remaining food. At night, he loves sleeping with me or some of the other resident cats. He really is the perfect little boy."
SparkleCatRescue
Share this story with your friends. More on Gus and Sparkle Cat Rescue on Instagram and Facebook.
Related story: Kitten Clings to the People Who Come for Him after a Week at Shelter, They End Up Saving His Life