At the ASPCA, we believe that fostering a bond between children and animals is of the utmost importance (in fact, we have a whole website about it!). After all, in a few short years those kids will be the strongest voice for animals that we have. That’s why we were so excited to hear from ASPCA adopter Barbara H. and her nine-year-old son, Tobias, about their new feline family member. Here is the Happy Tail of a cat named Devito.

When two-year-old Devito arrived at the ASPCA in June, his back and belly were covered in burns. We didn’t know where the wounds had come from, but we were certain that the sweet cat would fare better in a foster home. So, after receiving medical treatment for his sores and scars, Devito moved into Barbara’s home to begin his healing process.

“We brought Devito home as a foster cat without any idea that we’d end up adopting him,” says Barbara. Barbara grew up with cats, but she developed a terrible feline allergy later in life. Not wanting to deprive her son of the joys of pet-parenting, she thought fostering would be a perfect solution. “I figured I could handle taking a lot of antihistamines for two weeks at a time,” says Barbara. “It was the perfect way to do some good and give Tobias at least a part-time pet.”

Though they had fostered many kitties before, nine-year-old Tobias wasn’t quite as sold on the concept: “Saying goodbye to cats at the end of the foster was good and it was bad,” he says. “It was kind of a relief because I didn’t get woken up at night anymore, but sad because I missed the way kittens would chase my toes under the covers and chew my hair while I was sleeping.”

Tobias knew from the start that there was something special about Devito. “He licked us and always wanted to cuddle up next to us and rest at least one paw on our arms and knees,” he says. “Devito followed us everywhere, including lying on the rim of the tub while I took a bath!”

There was something else special about Devito, too: Because of his skin condition, he didn’t trigger Barbara’s allergies the way other cats had. She laughs, “I knew it was serious when we started talking about naming him and inviting friends over to meet him as though he was already a member of the family. It just felt like he was our cat.” So on August 14, one week after taking Devito in as a foster, Barbara and Tobias made him an official member of the family.

Once his foster home became his forever home, Devito’s life got even better. Barbara and Tobias renamed him “Zenith,” because, as she says, “he’s black and white like an old TV.” After his wounds healed, they bought a leash and harness so they could walk him through the community garden near their house. “Zenith loves to slink through the grass stalking butterflies and birds,” says Barbara. “Walking that cat at the end of the day in the tranquil garden is a nice way for Tobias and me to spend time together, too,” she adds.

Though the adoption was unplanned, Zenith, Barbara and Tobias turned out to be a perfect match. When asked why they made the decision to adopt, Tobias put it best: “Because we wanted an extra friend.”