Growing up, we all wanted to get ahead in life, aka get some special treatment or money for sweets from our guardians. And we did some sneaky things to do so. Being the youngest cousin, I always got asked to be the one to go up to the parents and beg for toys or permission to play. The youngest child tactic - always works like a charm.
It seems these kittens had the same strategy in mind. One was wandering a deserted street when a man driving by noticed it and stopped. He never realized that the rescue of one kitten would result in a rescue of 12 more.
Before we dive into the details of the story, I’d like to vehemently ask you to upvote the lovely kitten story, leave your thoughts below in the comments, as well as follow the author for more good news content.
On the way to a shooting range, a man noticed a tiny black and white kitten wandering the road. So what did he do? He stopped to rescue it, of course!
Image credits: robertbrantley_
A man named Robert Brantley was on his way to a shooting range in Louisiana after a long day at work when he noticed something on the road. It looked to be a tiny black and white kitten and Robert couldn’t just drive past it.
He parked his car and went to investigate, the little feline coming up to the man excitedly.
The man, named Robert, examined the small kitten, who'd excitedly waltzed up to him, yet he never could have guessed what came next
Image credits: robertbrantley_
Robert picked up the kitten, examining it carefully when he noticed movement in the grass next to the road. Without warning, the man was ambushed by a dozen kittens, rushing him like a bunch of velociraptors. Let me know if you know the reference.
“Oh no, there’s a whole... Oh my gosh!” he can be heard saying excitedly in an Instagram video, whilst the cats continued to nudge and meow against his ankles. “I can’t take y’all. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, there’s more! We got a kitten problem.”
“Oh no, there’s a whole... Oh my gosh!” Without warning, the man was ambushed by a dozen kittens, rushing him like a bunch of velociraptors
Image credits: robertbrantley_
Get 1, get another 12 for free was the deal of the day, as the kittens nudged and meowed at Robert's ankles
Image credits: robertbrantley_
Although he was unsure about taking in all of them, especially as he and his family have pets of their own, he did not have the heart to leave them behind. Thus, Robert became a dad to 13 stray kittens. “The tactical Honda was not prepared for this,” he joked in another Instagram post.
He recalled the moment to NPR, saying, “I was not prepared for the kittens, I was just blown away.” The 37-year-old said he was overcome with a wave of emotions, realizing someone had likely dumped the kittens on the side of the road at an age when they couldn't fend for themselves, otherwise they wouldn’t have been so friendly or eager to meet a human.
According to Nolo, it is illegal to abandon an animal in most states. Whether it be by dumping it in a public place or leaving it anywhere without providing for its needs, yet it is incredibly difficult to uphold this law as there are often no witnesses to the crime.
No kitten was to be left behind that day, as the man put the tiny felines into his Honda through an open window, as they kept jumping out the door
Image credits: robertbrantley_
The second video he posted showed a lot of the kittens already exploring the back of his car, with others trying to look at all the trinkets up front. Robert explained the process of rescuing the kittens in the caption: “I couldn’t keep up with them as I would throw one in and 2 would jump out. So I had to close the door with the window down and funnel 'em in. That would have been good footage, actually.”
However, despite all the difficulties, he managed to gather up the kittens, setting himself a mission to find each and every one of them a good loving home, but first he was gonna “fatten them up.”
He realized that someone had likely dumped the kittens on the side of the road at an age when they couldn't fend for themselves
Image credits: robertbrantley_
Although he was unprepared to foster them all at first, the kittens were provided with food, shelter, and vet checkups
Image credits: robertbrantley_
The video quickly caught the attention of kitten-lovers, the original video garnering 924K views, before being shared on multiple social media accounts. From Twitter to TikTok, the video has been seen and loved by millions, with one shared by Lauren René Allen, alongside the caption, “why don’t things like this ever happen to me,” going viral with over 32 million views.
Robert shared the original video on his Instagram page, it soon being picked up and shared on social media pages, garnering millions of views
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Due to their newfound fame, Robert’s wife, Courtney, started a TikTok account to share updates on the kittens, whilst Robert continues to post on Instagram
Image credits: robertbrantley_
The kittens are seen to be enjoying playtime, little photo shoots and baths in a mini blow-up pool, provided by Robert himself
Image credits: robertbrantley_
Because of their newfound fame, Robert’s wife, Courtney, started a TikTok account to share updates on the kittens, whilst Robert continues to post on Instagram. One video showed their rescue dog, named Codi Pig, chilling with the kittens, Courtney saying that the pup had taken quite a liking to them, almost acting like their new mom.
The kittens are otherwise seen to be enjoying playtime, little photo shoots and baths in a mini blow-up pool, provided by Robert himself. “The kittens are doing great and are enjoying the warm breeze as they dry off,” he wrote in the caption of the video. “We’ve got some more things planned for these babies so stay tuned. I’m still learning a lot of this so go easy on me!”
Image credits: robertbrantley_
From the beginning, he was determined to find each of the 13 kittens a happy new home and with thousands of applications coming through, it won't be a problem
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Interest in the story and a TikTok following of 72K people weren’t all that came from this. People have been offering supplies and help, while thousands of others have expressed interest in adopting the kitties. “It's mind-blowing, to be honest with you, that so many people reach out and there's a lot of people in the world wanting to do good," he told NPR.
At this time, most of the kittens are awaiting their future owners, with the exception of a couple of kitties that need a little extra attention from the veterinarian. "We found some good people locally that want 'em, and I know that they're all good people and they're not doing anything bad with them," he said.
Two of the litter have already been adopted and will call Alexandria, LA, their new home. Others are awaiting more checkups
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The first two to have been adopted were Michael Scott and Nala, with the pair finding a special forever home in Alexandria, LA. “I am happy to see them find a good home but at the same time I’m sad to see them go,” Robert wrote in the caption of the Instagram post.
“We have some more checkups and such for the other ones. Champ made it back and has medicine to take every day. The saga continues.”
“I want people to know that no matter how much bad you see in the world, there's still a lot of people doing good things and not doing it for recognition," Robert said
Image credits: robertbrantley_
Considering Robert’s work and hobbies, some people expressed their concerns. "I work in the gun industry, and... some people have taken that negatively. And a lot of people, which I'm very thankful of, have said, like, 'Wow... I'm surprised you're not such a violent person' or 'You still have compassion and stuff.'”
Compassion and love for every being in the world are the messages Robert is trying to spread, saying: “I want people to know that no matter where you're at and how much bad you see in the world, there's still a lot of people - not talking about me - doing good things and not doing it for recognition.”
The pair have shared a few means of helping them out throughout the process and we wish them all nothing but the best!
Image credits: robertbrantley_
The pair shared their PayPal information, as well as a PO box and an Amazon wish list, for all those who’ve been excited about helping the kittens out. If you’d like to donate and help support Robert and his kittens, you can find all the resources to do so here.
We hope all the kittens are well, that they're all happy and healthy. We also wish all the best to the Brantley family and thank them for the empathy and generosity shown to these little critters.
You can watch the video that marked the beginning of their story here
Let us know what you thought of the story in the comments below and I hope to catch you all in another wholesome article! Have a good one!
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