A video of four kittens, aptly named the “Graybies,” along with their young mother being rescued has melted millions of hearts on Instagram.
Racking up an impressive 2.8 million views, the footage was shared by Cameron King, a dedicated cat owner and foster parent who runs the Instagram page @benjaminbutterscotch. The Graybies, known for their striking gray coats, were found hidden in “a rotting pile of junk and old boxes.”
The touching video captures the moment King, upon being made aware of their situation, stepped in to rescue the four kittens and their 6-month-old mother.
Followed by more recent footage of the grown up kittens celebrating their first birthday on June 21. In the caption, he refers to the cats called Macy Gray, Dorian Gray, Christian Gray, and Gandalf the Gray as the “most amazing litter.” However, raising them has come with its challenges.
He wrote: “It’s been a real whirlwind of a year because Gandalf has been determined to burn through a few of his [nine] lives!”
First, he was diagnosed with a viral disease known as feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) then he fractured his back leg when running down the stairs while trying to escape his FIP medicine, which is said to be expensive in the caption. More recently, he swallowed two feet of drawstring at his foster home and required emergency surgery.
“Thankfully, Gandalf is resilient and strong,” King said in the caption. “He’s still doing well, and all signs point to him living a long and happy life.”
Now that he has been nursed back to good health and the others are thriving, they are up for adoption. King hopes sharing their journey will help find them a place to call home. So far, the video has received over 244,000 likes and more than 1,100 comments.
“The mom had to have lived with somebody at one point. No chance she would be that chill stuck in a cage with her kids getting picked up and moved,” said one user.
Another wrote: “Thank you for seeing their worth, saving them, and giving them a home and love.”
A third commenter suggested: “They should stay together. Imagine the pain they go through when separated. This is Not fair. And If they get adopted pleaaaaase consider to give them away in pairs. Don’t separate those siblings! They have strong bonds.”
The story of the Graybies is a testament to the incredible impact that kindness and community support can have. As the kittens and their mama continue to thrive, their journey serves as a reminder of the power of love and compassion in giving animals a second chance at life. According to Peta, an estimated 60 to 100 million cats are homeless in America, they rely on humans to feed, water and shelter them. Sadly, not all are rescued by good Samaritans like King so life on the streets often means a short one due to contagious and deadly diseases.