Hearts Melt as Cat Gets His Own Rescue Kitten Who Was Saved From Euthanasia

Internet users have been reduced to tears by the loving friendship between a stray cat and a kitten that was rescued from the euthanasia list.

Life hasn't been too easy for Mittens, the rescue cat, which is why his owner brought home a new friend for him "so he wouldn't be lonely." Boots, a grey and white kitten, was due to be put down because the shelter that she was in was too full and couldn't accommodate her.

Now, Mittens and Boots both have a second chance at life and will always have each other to keep them company at their home in Wisconsin.

The adorable video was shared to TikTok by user @rescuecatmittens on Monday, highlighting how the two cats "were meant to find each other." Since the clip was posted, it has already been viewed more than 183,000 times and received 23,300 likes as of Friday morning.

Newsweek reached out to @rescuecatmittens via Instagram for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.

There are many other cats and dogs who wind up in shelters and when they can't be re-homed, they are at risk of being euthanized. Figures by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) suggest that there are 6.3 million companion animals who enter shelters across the United States every year, 3.2 million of which are cats.

While the outlook might seem positive for the 2.1 million cats who eventually find a forever home, it certainly isn't the case for every shelter animal. The ASPCA estimates that 920,000 animals in rescue centers around the country are euthanized each year, including 530,000 cats.

These numbers are undoubtedly disheartening, but the numbers actually signal a decrease from previous years. In 2011, approximately 2.6 million cats and dogs were euthanized. The ASPCA believes that the decrease can be partially explained by an increase in pets being adopted, and many strays being returned to their owners.

Rescuing Boots was a wonderful decision by @rescuecatmittens, as not only did it save the feline's life, but it's given Mittens a close companion. Both cats have had a difficult past, but ever since Boots was introduced into the fold, their owner feels that "they healed each other," according to the video.

Since their initial meeting, Mittens and Boots "instantly became friends," as the owner wrote on TikTok that "they were meant to be together."

TikTok Users React

The new inseparable duo has certainly pleased many social media users, as one person commented: "Thank you for saving the beautiful fur baby, and for giving your beautiful cat a companion."

Another person commented: "This melts my heart, idk how people could do this to an animal."

"It honestly makes me ill at how many sweet innocent animals are killed for just being born," wrote one horrified TikTok user.

Boots and Mittens' friendship was even called the "best love story" by another commenter.

Do you have any adorable rescue stories that 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.