When some stray cats came to live with a Pittie named Marley and his mom, he was initially quite terrified. He definitely didn’t understand why the tiny kittens wanted to crawl all over him or snuggle up with him. He just knew that they had him on edge.
But now that Marley has had plenty of time to get to know them, he has transformed into King of the Kitties!
After Marley’s mom founded The Arc Animal Sanctuary in Greece, she started caring for lots of cats. Marley wasn’t quite sure what to make of the large number of tiny new arrivals. After all, he hadn’t spent much time around kittens before.
But the teeny kitties, whom he dwarfed in size, made him extremely uneasy. He’d get up and move if they got too close, and he’d even run and hide behind his mom.
“They don’t want to hurt you. They just want your body heat,” she would say to him.
For a while, Marley couldn’t be swayed. The kittens were simply too scary. But then, slowly, after spending more and more time together, Marley changed his mind. Suddenly what was once super scary became a source of comfort and companionship.
“It was quite cute though, after a while when he started realizing, oh, these guys are quite fun, actually. They’re quite squishy and cuddly and like to keep me warm and lay on me like tiny blankets,” says Marley’s mom.
Now, Marley has helped raise over 30 kittens. He even initiates play with them, cuddles with them, and stands watch over them as they mill about. While some of the kittens have gone on to be adopted by new forever families, others have since grown up and remain at the shelter. So Marley has had the time to really get to know them.
It’s awesome that he has come around since he is an absolute cat magnet. All the cats love to lay with him and climb on him. He even remains extremely still while they traverse his furry back. He has now been deemed “Uncle Marley” by his mom, and he offers the cats companionship and comfort while providing a watchful eye. His mom doesn’t know how she’d do things without him!
You can see Marley’s entire heartwarming transformation in the video below. And to keep up with Marley, his kitten pals, and all the creatures at Arc Animal Shelter, follow them on Instagram.
Featured Image: YouTube
Toledo, United States.
