Some adoptions begin with paperwork and searching. Others start with a quiet decision to bring a pet home after much thought.
But sometimes, it feels as if the animal makes the choice for us.
That was exactly what happened between a woman named Julia and a striking orange-and-white cat in Toronto.
She didn’t set out to adopt. She wasn’t planning on adding a pet to her life at all.
Yet from the very first moment he appeared, the cat seemed to know Julia was his person — and he refused to let her forget it.
When a Cat Refuses to Be Ignored
The stray would spot her the second she stepped outside. He’d rush over, flop onto the ground in front of her, and insist on attention. If she tried to walk past, he’d block her path until she reached down and offered him the belly rubs he craved. His persistence made her laugh, but it also left her wondering: why her?
Soon, his visits grew bolder. One day, Julia found him clinging to her window screen, meowing with all his strength as if begging her to open the door. The sight was so unusual that she couldn’t help but stop in her tracks. Still, she told herself he must belong to someone else.
But the next morning he came back. And the day after that. And then again. Every single time, he was waiting. Watching. Hoping she would finally let him in.
The Night Everything Changed
Julia held out for as long as she could. She asked around her neighborhood. She tried to convince herself this cat had a home and was just unusually affectionate.
But deep down, she was beginning to realize the truth. He wasn’t going anywhere.
At last, she gave in. She opened her door, telling herself it was only for one night — just to see. The moment he stepped inside, it was clear he felt he belonged.
He curled up with total trust, purring without hesitation. His comfort in her presence left her with little doubt: this was not temporary.
@liams.teefs #onthisday wow what a throwback 🥹 our first video to get over 1000 likes (and 1000 views)! the comments on this video are the reason our handle is liams.teefs 🦷 lots of love for the teeth 💗 (also people said i look like Timothée Chalamet… is this true? 🥲😆) @liam (clingy cat) & julia #teef #catteef #clingycat #eepy #cuddlycat #orangecat #boycat ♬ original sound – liam & julia
She named him Liam.
A quick vet visit confirmed what Julia had already suspected: Liam had no family of his own. He was a stray, and for reasons only he knew, he had chosen her. From that day forward, their bond deepened with remarkable speed.
Julia remembers one moment in particular: the day he returned from the vet and immediately climbed into her bed. From then on, it was endless cuddles.
Wherever she went, Liam followed. Whenever she sat down, he found her lap. And when he slept, he sprawled across her legs with his mouth wide open, a pose that quickly became his signature look.
“It felt,” Julia would later reflect, “like he was always meant to be here.”
From Stray Cat to Foster Father
As Julia settled into life with Liam, she began opening her home to foster kittens.
She expected it to be a challenge — introducing tiny, fragile babies into a house with a cat who had once lived on the streets. But what happened next left her astonished.
The kittens were immediately drawn to Liam.
They climbed onto him, wrestled with his tail, and curled up against his side. Far from being annoyed, he welcomed them as if they were his own.
He cleaned them, snuggled them, and comforted them when they felt afraid. His gentle patience turned him into the perfect foster dad.
The cat who once clung to Julia’s window screen had now become a source of safety for countless little ones who needed extra love.
Kitten after kitten passed through Julia’s care, and every single one found warmth in Liam.
Yet despite this new role, Liam never lost his clinginess with Julia.
To this day, he stretches across her lap, pressing close as though he remembers exactly how hard he once worked to make her notice him. Every cuddle is a reminder of the persistence that brought them together.
Julia often says she feels honored — honored to have been chosen, honored to be trusted, honored to share her life with a cat who never gave up on her.
And Liam? He simply acts as if he knew it all along.
I’m Chris, a lifelong cat lover and rescue advocate based in Austin, Texas. What started with one scruffy shelter cat ten years ago turned into a mission — sharing the stories of cats who got their second chance. I believe every rescue cat has a tale worth telling, and I’m here to tell them. When I’m not writing, I’m probably being ignored by my own three rescues