Love at First Sight, by Sarah Ashley
- 17 hours ago
- 2 min read
Last summer, Courtney Bailey opened her front door and found an unfamiliar black-and-white cat staring back at her. Bailey, who already had three cats, barely managed to say hello when the cat marched into the house, went straight to a litter box, and used it like he it was his own.
Strays had come around before, but none as friendly or bold as this little guy. She and her partner agreed the cat must belong to someone and he could stay in their garage while they searched for his family.
“When we went to check on him later, he was curled up in our cats’ old bed,” Bailey said. “He'd made himself right at home.” Still committed to finding his people, they decided to bring him inside to meet their cats.
Joining His New Family
Tater Swift and Saint Dikolas are 9-month-old brothers. Dikolas is very active ─ wrestling, running, and wreaking havoc ─ while Tater is a 16-pound “marshmallow” of a cat who takes things very slowly. The third resident cat is Reese’s Pieces, a grumpy old lady who rules the roost. Bailey worried how the outgoing new cat would fit into this mix, but everything went very smoothly. Dikolas and Reese eyed the new cat with curiosity, then seemingly shrugged and accepted him, giving him an immediate stamp of approval. But something deeper stirred in Tater.
Tater Finds His Soulmate
“Tater Swift and this new cat took one look at each other and fell in love,” Bailey said. “He was immediately enamored with Tater and followed him everywhere.”
Bailey and her partner watched as an undeniable bond grew between the cats. They started calling the new guy Pongo. If Tater flopped on the floor, Pongo immediately sidled up for a cuddle. The two played together gently, in a way Dikolas never did.
While romance blossomed, she and her partner continued searching for Pongo’s family, posting flyers and Facebook notices. A vet visit revealed he was about 5 months old.
Meanwhile, Pongo and Tater were developing a routine, part of which included Pongo sitting on Tater in various poses.
“They spend their whole day finding new ways to hug,” Bailey said, adding that Dikolas and Reese simply let the “boyfriends” be. “Pongo and Tater are in their own world and everyone else is third-wheeling.”
She and her partner finally realized Pongo had become a part of their family.
Who Doesn’t Love a Happy Ending
Though they may not ever know what Pongo’s life was like before he arrived on their doorstep, they can’t imagine their life without him now. It’s clear that Pongo chose them to be his family and knew, before they did, that once he crossed that threshold into their home, he was never leaving.
A year after he first showed up, Pongo and Tater are still inseparable.
“It was absolutely love at first sight,” Bailey said. “They've been wrapped in each other's arms ever since.”
If you want to keep up with Tater and Pongo, you can follow their love story on Instagram.
Story compliments of The Dodo:
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