It was one of the hottest days of the summer, and the newborn kittens had no way of getting away. Fortunately, they were located before it was too late, and after seeing no mom cat in sight, they were taken to a local fosterer.
The kittens had to be bottle-fed around the clock, and despite a difficult start in life, they gradually began to thrive and regain strength. Except for Charlie, when they were old enough to be adopted, they went off to their forever families one by one.
CREDIT: ASPCA
When no one seemed to want to accept Charlie, the mother who was fostering the kittens asked her daughter if she wanted to adopt him. She said yes right away, and the couple has been together ever since.
CREDIT: ASPCA
“He’s the most loving, trusting, friendly cat I’ve ever met,” Charlie’s mother, Chandler Alteri, told The Dodo. “As soon as I walk in the door from work, he goes to the door and stands on his rear legs, waiting for me to take him up and embrace him.” He adores being hugged and cuddled. He’s great with kids, dogs, strangers, and, most importantly, other kittens and cats.”
CREDIT: ASPCA
Alteri soon decided to attempt fostering, like her mother, because it was something she’d always wanted to do. She got in touch with the ASPCA and adopted her first two foster kittens, Bitsy and Jitterbug. She kept the kittens in the bathroom at first since she wasn’t sure how Charlie would respond to their sharing his home. But, as it turned out, she had nothing to be concerned about.
“He couldn’t wait to come inside and see them,” Alteri explained. “When I eventually let him into the bathroom, he started bathing the kittens right away.” For weeks, I observed as he cared for them and helped them come out of their shells. I’d never seen anything like that before. They were shy at first, but because they loved Charlie and Charlie loved me, they began trusting me.”
CREDIT: ASPCA
Bitsy and Jitterbug were ready to find their forever homes with Charlie’s support and direction, and Alteri recognized she and Charlie had discovered their purpose. They have already fostered around 25 different kittens, and Charlie has loved and cared for each of them as if they were his own pups.
“Charlie enjoys bathing and snuggling with the kittens,” Alteri explained. “He even lets them pretend to be nurses!” He also enjoys playing hide-and-seek with them. He’ll go hide someplace in the flat, meow, and then when he hears them approaching, he springs out of hiding and leaps over them! It’s just funny!”
CREDIT: ASPCA
Many people are taken aback by Charlie’s conduct because he is a male cat, but every time he sees a new small foster kitten in need of love and attention, his parental instincts kick in and he becomes the best adoptive dad anybody has ever seen. Having Charlie around to help them learn and grow is a huge value to the foster kitties – and makes them more appealing.
CREDIT: ASPCA
“The foster kittens benefit from a calm, friendly cat that gives the type of social support and connection that people can’t offer, especially while humans are still quite frightening,” Adi Hovav, senior behavior consultant at the ASPCA Adoption Center, told The Dodo. “Charlie’s bond with the kittens serves as a link between kitten and person.” While kittens may be adequately socialized without the presence of an assistance cat, having Charlie around surely helps.”
Charlie had a tough start in life, which might explain why he is so interested in assisting and caring for the foster kittens. Fostering saved his life, and he now spends his days repaying the favor.
CREDIT: ASPCA
“He’s quite protective of our fosters,” Alteri explained. “He’ll sit up high on my dresser or bathroom sink and simply watch them. “Once, a foster got his toy caught beneath the ottoman, and Charlie assisted him in retrieving it.”
CREDIT: ASPCA
Charlie offers excitement and affection to every foster kitten he encounters, as well as to his mom, who is overjoyed to have discovered such a kind and understanding best friend.
“He is an extraordinary jewel,” Alteri added, “and I don’t believe there is another cat on the planet as precious as he is.”