Alana adopted her cat, Lucas, when he was just a wee kitten. She gave him lots of different toys to play with, but he always had a soft spot for one in particular – a stuffed leopard.

And it actually wasn’t even his. Alana had picked it up for herself at the zoo but couldn’t say no when her little kitten showed such an interest in it.

When can you ever say no to a kitten though, really?

“I got the toy from my local zoo, along with a few other stuffed animals,” Alana said in an interview with The Dodo. “He usually leaves my stuffed animals alone, but he wouldn’t leave this one alone.”

It’s not uncommon for pets to have a favorite toy, but Lucas was particularly attached to his chosen plushie.

The leopard was about the same size as Lucas, and of course, resembled him a little bit. They are both cats after all!

That may be part of the reason why he felt so attached to it.

Four years passed and Lucas is still just as enamored with the toy as he was as a kitten. Just like many people, you can grow up, but never grow out of loving your favorite stuffed animals!

“He just would go crazy for this one. I’d find it in all sorts of weird places all covered in cat spit.” – Alana

Over those four years, the toy has lived a pretty good life and is definitely showing its age a little bit. But Lucas doesn’t notice or care. He loves his little leopard unconditionally. It’s both a comfort and a friend.

Alana’s grandmother recently moved in with her family and fell in love with Lucas. She loved how much he cared for his furry stuffed friend, but noticed that it had become ragged over time. The fur was matted together, ripped, and stuffing falling out.

She thought she could help mend it before it totally fell apart.

If it had, Lucas would have been heartbroken! And it felt like the toy was irreplaceable. They’d been through so much together.

So Alana’s grandmother got out her needle and thread and got to sewing.

Lucas loved watching her work and was very interested by the needle, watching it weave back and forth, stitching his beloved leopard back together.

“He watched the whole time. He was just super into what she was doing.” – Alana

He waited patiently and watched as Grandma acted as a surgeon, fixing up the wounds and making the leopard healthy once more.

The surgery was a big success, and Lucas couldn’t wait to play with his beloved stuffed animal again!

His leopard looked good as new, and little Lucas was very happy to see him looking so nice and put back together. Now he could keep playing with the toy for years to come.

“Lucas was very happy!” – Alana

Judging by how it went through so much wear and tear over the last four years… Lucas may need Grandma to step in again in four years’ time.

Until then, we’re happy little Lucas has his furry companion back at his side.

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Source: The Dodo, Cat Behavior Associates