Owner Fears How ‘Big Guy’ Cat Will React to Kitten—He Didn’t Need to Worry

In a viral Reddit post from earlier this week, a cat owner shared how his concerns over welcoming a new kitten to the house melted after seeing the older feline’s reaction.

Neph originally welcomed into his home a stray cat, Nube, about two and a half years ago. He learned Nube is a Nebelung cat, which is a new and relatively rare breed, according to The Spruce Pets. Developed in the United States during the 1980s, these cats sport medium-length fur with a blue-gray color and silvery shine.

Ever since bringing in Nube, Neph wanted another cat of the same breed. He searched for over a year before finally stumbling upon someone in Canada having a kitten available.

“I drove all the way there from Chicago to pick her up,” he told Newsweek via Reddit, which is about a 10 to 11-hour drive. Nerves then sank in, unsure how Nube would react.

While cats are adaptable and often enjoy another furry friend, it’s hard to know how they will react to a new feline in the house. Some cats are not compatible with each other. However, Neph noted that Nube, the “big guy,” looks mean, but in reality, he’s a softy, and with a proper introduction, his cat would welcome the kitty in no time.

Neph posted a video on April 8 to the subreddit channel, r/awww, that was taken exactly one week after bringing home the kitten. The two cats sat right next to each other. At first, it appeared Nube was not having it, looking at Neph like what had he done, but in a matter of seconds, Nube took the kitty under his arm and started grooming her.

“…I wasn’t at all surprised by his response, I knew we’d get there sooner or later,” he said.

The two can’t get enough of each other. Neph said if the little kitten goes and hides, Nube starts to panic until he finds her. He’s stepped into his protective older brother role. Neph added in the comment section that the two only “nap and groom” now.

Reddit users immediately fell in love with this duo, and within days, the post amassed over 93,000 upvotes and 1,600 comments.

“The look on his face at the start of the video looked like, ‘Touch her and catch these paws,'” one Reddit user wrote.

Another added: “He’s gonna be the best big brother.”

And a third commented: “Welp, that’s his baby now.”

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.