Published Jun 24, 2025
“Like, this thing is little,” Caleb said when he saw his rescue cat for the first time. He filmed himself finding a kitten outside, and at the time he had no idea what to do with her.
Soon, Nala would become his best friend and turn him into a total cat dad.
“Please help!”
Nala’s dad was coming home from a job interview when he heard her meowing. At first, he thought he was hearing things. He couldn’t see a cat anywhere, no matter how much he looked.
Finally, he looked down and there was a tiny kitten by his foot. She was looking up at him as though saying, “Please help me!”
He immediately knew that he’d answer her plea for help. However, he had never been a cat person and didn’t know what to do with a kitten or how to care for her. Initially, he even thought she was a boy!
When you know, you know
Though he was committed to helping her, Nala’s dad never planned on keeping her. That was, until she curled up on his shoulder–he says that in that moment, he just knew.
Over time, he got used to having her around. He took her to the vet, where she was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection (URI). This is a common condition in stray cats and kittens, and Nala showed classic signs like cloudy eyes and a runny nose. After some antibiotics, she was completely healed.
The vet was the one who told Caleb that Nala was a girl. He knew then that he needed to switch his focus when looking for a name, and settled on Nala because The Lion King is one of his favorite Disney movies.
“It’s like we’ve been friends my whole life.”
Nala’s dad says they were instantly BFFs, like they’d always known one another. They’re soulmates, and it’s clear that him finding Nala was meant to be.
As a kitten, she loved riding around in his pocket. She still likes to lay on his chest, and is always following him around the house.
He says she’s sassy and playful, and can also be a menace! She gets into mischief like unraveling his toilet paper. (He has to keep the bathroom door closed since Nala moved in.)
Despite her trouble-making, her dad loves knowing that Nala will be there when he comes home. Having her in his life gives him peace of mind, because humans may fail you but a cat never will–even if they do rip up your toilet paper from time to time!
You can see more of this duo on Caleb’s TikTok.
