He Lived In A Piece Of Pottery Until Someone Finally Noticed Him

At Olive Atelier, a pottery shop in Los Angeles, California, staff members meet all kinds of patrons browsing the shelves for their next vase or vintage plate. But recently, workers at the store came face to face with their strangest, and fuzziest, customer yet.

“One day we were out there, and he just popped his little head up,” Elizabeth, an Olive Atelier worker, said in a video for The Dodo. “It was really cute.”

It turns out, a stray cat was living in the store, and he’d made a home for himself inside one of the clay pots.

Worried for the cat and eager to gain his trust, Elizabeth left out a big bowl of cat food. The curious gray kitty ambled over, the pang in his hungry belly overcoming his fear of potentially interacting with people. It wasn’t long before all the food was gone.

Elizabeth started putting food out every day. The cat gained her trust and began allowing pets. Eventually, the skittish boy transformed into a complete cuddlebug.

“When he did let me pet him, then it was over,” Elizabeth said.

Soon the cat had a new name, Patino, and a new family.

“I definitely think that Patino adopted me,” Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth took all the necessary steps to ensure Patino had the right shots and veterinary care required for adoption. Then it was time to celebrate.

“We had a little adoption party for him,” Elizabeth said.

These days, Patino spends most of his time at Elizabeth’s apartment, hanging out with his new cat siblings. But Elizabeth regularly brings him back to the store, where he can see his old friends.

“I try to bring him in once every week, so if anybody wants to see him, he’s usually here on Fridays,” Elizabeth said.

The cat mom is so grateful she spotted Patino’s fuzzy face poking out of the pottery that day.

“I’m so thankful that I found him,” Elizabeth said. “Probably one of the best things I did was taking him home!”