A Louisiana man has won over a million hearts for rescuing not one but 13 stray kittens stranded by the side of a road and giving them a second chance at life.
Robert Brantley was driving to a gun range that he regularly frequents when he saw a slight flash of what his brain thought was a kitten in the weeds.
“I wasn’t sure, but looking in the rearview I saw something that made me want to turn around,” he told The Epoch Times.
The Pioneer resident stopped and pulled out his phone to record the moment for his 2-year-old son. First, a scruffy kitten ran straight towards him, and Mr. Brantley scooped him up gently. Before he knew it, a mob of kittens ambushed him.
“They were coming to me but were kind of wild in their behavior,” he said adding that the litter of kittens was dirty and needed a bath but didn’t seem to be in a bad shape.
What followed next has won netizens’ hearts.
“You can’t take one and leave [the rest],“ he said. ”We didn’t have the room, but leaving them wasn’t an option.”
Getting all 13 kittens into the car was a “big struggle,” and when Mr. Brantley got them home, they continued with their wild antics. However, after being fed, things changed.
“They definitely got on my side,” he said, adding that his wife and children were happy to take care of them.
“It was a full family effort and responsibility from that point on,” he said.
After a visit to the vet for a health check, the kittens were ready to be adopted—except three that the Brantleys kept including little Scout, the first kitten that signaled for help.
“We found great homes for them,” Mr. Brantley said, revealing that after sharing their plight, “a ton” of people reached out, offering to take one or more.
“We had more homes than kittens,“ he said. ”That was great as it made it easy to pick good homes for them.”
Some people were upset that the kittens were separated, but Mr. Brantley explained that his main goal was to first, save them and then, provide them a chance of finding a good home.
“I’ve always loved animals, but loving them many times is doing what’s best for them and not just keeping them for your selfish wants,“ he said. ”So, I’m happy knowing they have families and farms.”
According to Mr. Brantley, all of the cats are doing well.
He is out for work almost all day, but when he gets home, he’s welcomed by the three cats that he was able to keep.
“[They] will always come running out and will walk a mile or two following us as well, ” he said. “They are kind of like dogs in that regard.”
Describing Scout’s personality, Mr. Brantley said that he’s always been laid back and spends most of his time hunting or lounging. He enjoys playing with the kids along with the other cats.
The animal lover said he has since discovered that the kittens he found stranded had been dumped there.
