When photographer Steve Hamel was fixing his jeep in his garage at the end of December last year, he had no idea it would be the start of a fun adventure. Steve discovered a gorgeous sociable kitten in his garage, and as he didn’t have any cats, he assumed she was lost and went in search of shelter.
Steve saw the red-haired cat had joined him in the garage as he was examining the car. The cat entered the jeep quietly, as if she understood exactly what she was doing, and clearly intended to share her complete cat experience.
Steve stated:
“I’m just trying to fix my jeep. I don’t even have a cat.”
<figure id="attachment_2465" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2465" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" src="https://petsmagazine.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/x.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" class="size-full wp-image-2465" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2465" class="wp-caption-text">CREDIT: FACEBOOK/ STEVE HAMEL</figcaption></figure>
Despite the fact that he had no clue where the orange cat may have come from, Steve fell in love right away, and the crafty kitten made sure to capture his attention by climbing on his shoulders and curling up lovingly. Sh e stood there on his shoulders, taking a trip about and getting to know the surroundings as if Steve were her own carriage.
<figure id="attachment_2466" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2466" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" src="https://petsmagazine.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/3-1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" class="size-full wp-image-2466" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2466" class="wp-caption-text">CREDIT: FACEBOOK/ STEVE HAMEL</figcaption></figure>
She jumped to a crane after inspecting the situation and thoroughly assessed the Jeep. After double-checking that everything was in order, she came to a halt in front of a toolbox and claimed it as her new bed, which caught Steve off guard.
<figure id="attachment_2467" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2467" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" src="https://petsmagazine.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ss-1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" class="size-full wp-image-2467" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2467" class="wp-caption-text">CREDIT: FACEBOOK/ STEVE HAMEL</figcaption></figure>
They examined the kitty but discovered no necklace or microchip to help them trace her family. They also asked her neighbors to see if anybody knew who she was.
<figure id="attachment_2468" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2468" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" src="https://petsmagazine.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/a.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" class="size-full wp-image-2468" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2468" class="wp-caption-text">CREDIT: FACEBOOK/ STEVE HAMEL</figcaption></figure>
Steve stated:
“If we don’t succeed, we will keep the cat. It’s a great love.”
The man’s small daughter named the cat Sally, and the entire family fell in love with her. They dashed out the door to get some materials and a tiny plaque with her name on it.
<figure id="attachment_2469" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2469" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" src="https://petsmagazine.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dd.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" class="size-full wp-image-2469" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2469" class="wp-caption-text">CREDIT: FACEBOOK/ STEVE HAMEL</figcaption></figure>
Steve enthusiastically added:
“Sally enjoys perching on my shoulders, and while she has a full set of claws that make this difficult around the home, my work jacket makes it fairly comfortable.”
<figure id="attachment_2470" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2470" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" src="https://petsmagazine.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2-1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" class="size-full wp-image-2470" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2470" class="wp-caption-text">CREDIT: FACEBOOK/ STEVE HAMEL</figcaption></figure>
Steve shared the story on Facebook, and a few days later, they received a call from a family who identified the cat as their stray pet
<figure id="attachment_2471" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2471" style="width: 232px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" src="https://petsmagazine.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/g-1.jpg" alt="" width="232" height="300" class="size-full wp-image-2471" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2471" class="wp-caption-text">CREDIT: FACEBOOK/ STEVE HAMEL</figcaption></figure>
It’s a shame. Steve stated:
“We tracked down the owners. These wonderful people were reunited with their cherished pet. They lived right across the street and had many heartwarming images of the cat interacting with their kid. Bringing them together felt amazing, even though it was heartbreaking at the same time. Despite my sadness, I am confident that we did the right thing.”
<figure id="attachment_2472" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2472" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" src="https://petsmagazine.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/r-1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" class="size-full wp-image-2472" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2472" class="wp-caption-text">CREDIT: FACEBOOK/ STEVE HAMEL</figcaption></figure>
Meeting and spending time with the kitten moved this family’s hearts and left a gap in their house, so Steve contemplated adding a new feline addition to his family.
Steve continued, saying:
“We decided to adopt because we had a cat-shaped hole in our hearts.”
<figure id="attachment_2474" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2474" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" src="https://petsmagazine.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/0.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" class="size-full wp-image-2474" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2474" class="wp-caption-text">CREDIT: FACEBOOK/ STEVE HAMEL</figcaption></figure>
They had finally found the perfect integration, and everyone was ecstatic. According to Steve:
“We were looking for a tabby cat, but it captured our hearts. It’s beautiful, but black cats are less likely to be adopted than other cats. Because we already have a Sally label, this is Sally 2.0.”
<figure id="attachment_2475" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2475" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" src="https://petsmagazine.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/8.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" class="size-full wp-image-2475" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2475" class="wp-caption-text">CREDIT: FACEBOOK/ STEVE HAMEL</figcaption></figure>
The unexpected arrival of the friendly kitten left deep impressions on Steve, demonstrating that he still required a member of his family to be complete and that they had never anticipated to discover. Certainly, the kitty in his garage left some imprints on his heart that will not be forgotten.