Published Oct 22, 2026
The Cat Chronicles / Youtube.com
Once a scared stray, Nala the cat is now a spoiled daddy’s girl, pampered by both her human dad and her adoptive cat dad!
Gilbert the cat found her in a bush and helped raise her as a kitten. They’ve been attached at the hip ever since.
Kitten in a Bush
Gilbert regularly goes outside for walks on his harness. On one very special excursion, he discovered a kitten in the bushes and walked right up to her.
His dad tried to be careful and keep him away from the stray, since he wasn’t sure if she had any contagious diseases or if she’d be violent toward him. But the kitten wouldn’t stop following Gilbert around! They couldn’t get rid of her, their dad says.
He took Gilbert inside and brought out food for Nala. She was still little, and he assumed her mom would be back for her, so he waited and watched.
After a couple of days, he realized that she’d been abandoned. Nala kept meowing and following after them whenever they went outside, as though she were saying, “Hey! What about me?”
Their dad booked a vet appointment, where they found that Nala was approximately five to six weeks old and unchipped. She was also incredibly thin and dirty, and had spinal trauma that seemed to have come from a fall.
She had to be treated for ticks and bottle fed to help her get back to a healthy weight. She had her own room for the first four or five days to give her time to heal and settle in, but soon she was able to meet the other cats–including Gilbert!
Bonding With Gilbert
The Cat Chronicles / Youtube.com
Once the other cats were allowed to see Nala, Gilbert was the first to approach. He was curious about her and soon took her under his wing.
Nelly, on the other hand, wasn’t as happy about a new kitten in her space. It took her time to come around and, even today, she accepts her but doesn’t seem to love her. Sometimes, that’s the best you can hope for when bonding cats.
However, this wasn’t true for Gilbert. He fell head over heels! He grooms her, cuddles with her, and has become her safe space. She won’t go outside without him there and is always checking to make sure he’s nearby.
He takes his job as her protector seriously, too. He steps in if Nelly is bothering Nala, enforcing boundaries and making sure that everyone gets along.
As a grown cat, Nala has become confident and curious while at home, but when out in the world, she hides or defers to Gilbert. Even when visiting their cottage, their dad says, she gets very shy and withdrawn.
The Comfort of Cats
The Cat Chronicles / Youtube.com
Like most cat parents, Nala, Gilbert, and Nelly’s dad says that he finds comfort in coming home to them each day. On difficult days, there’s always someone to snuggle up with on the couch or provide a much-needed laugh.
“I hope they will all be 100 years old, as I cannot imagine not having them in my life,” he says, voicing the wish of every cat parent!
