‘Only Child’ Orange Cat Looks Bewildered As Owner Brings Home New Kitten

After getting comfortable as the only pet in the house, one cat couldn’t believe his eyes when something new walked through the room.

Carley Walker’s orange cat Rocket lived like a king as the “only child” in his San Diego home. He received all the attention and snuggles a cat could want. But Walker decided to foster a kitten, disrupting Rocket’s normal routine.

Walker told Newsweek via Reddit messaging that the orange cat only let out a little hiss when he first sniffed the carrier holding the kitten. But that was Rocket’s only hiss.

Instead, Rocket sat there confused about another feline in the house. In the video, Walker filmed Rocket seeing the kitty for the first time and shared it to the subreddit channel r/orangecats on July 25. His eyes popped out of his head, staring in disbelief. His silence spoke volumes.

“But as soon as I opened it and she started exploring he was glued to that spot in the video with no signs of aggression,” the owner said. “He just looked bewildered.”

Rocket stood like a statue. Frozen in disbelief his owner would add another feline into his kingdom. But, luckily, Rocket didn’t hold onto any hard feelings about being pushed out from being the only pet in the house.

Walker shared she has since adopted the kitten and her two cats can’t get enough of each other.

“They’re bestest of friends now and Rocket is very protective of her,” Walker said.

Introducing Cats

Cats typically aren’t as welcoming as dogs when new pets are brought home. Felines enjoy the solitude of being the only pet. But that doesn’t mean owners can’t be successful when bringing home a new furry member of the family, as proven by Rocket and Raisin.

Catster shared vet-approved methods to help owners introduce their cats to a new one. The first thing to consider is whether or not it is the right time. Cats take several weeks to adjust to new environments. When a cat’s routine is disrupted, whether they move into a new home or a baby arrives, they will be less likely to share their territory.

After deciding it is the right time to bring home a cat, set up separate spaces so they can get familiar with each other’s scents. Try swapping toys or blankets also. From there, you can move into controlled introductions that allow them to see each other, but not touch. Catster recommends using a baby gate for this step and keeping the sessions short.

Once the cats get used to each other and no hissing through the gate, you can try giving them shared meals, hosting supervised interactions and finally increasing their time together.

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.