Mom Says She Wants An Orange And White Cat And Then One Randomly Shows Up

In January 2020, A'Lana Bates and her dad asked her mom what she wanted for Mother’s Day that year. Her answer? An orange and white cat. 

“We had a stray show up in the early nineties who was an orange and white female we named Carmel, and she was the best cat,” Bates told The Dodo. “A couple years after she died, we adopted an orange and white barn cat we called Spooky, who was simply a joy. He died in 2008 and Mom has been wanting another.” 

Everyone of course thought the request was so sweet, and they figured they’d adopt her a kitten in May. Instead, Tom showed up. 

Only a few weeks after Bates’ mom spoke her wish out loud, a stray orange and white cat wandered into the family’s yard in the middle of a rainstorm. They couldn’t believe that the kind of cat they’d been looking for had suddenly appeared, but at first, he certainly wasn’t what anyone had expected. 

“At first he was very rough-and-tumble and only wanted us to bring him food and water on the deck,” Bates said. “Slowly he started coming in the house, but we couldn’t touch him.”

It took months and months to gain Tom’s trust, but still, he kept coming back. It was clear he wanted to be a member of the family and knew that he belonged there. It was all just a little new to him. His new family was so patient with him, though. Now, although he still has his quirks, he seems to have accepted that he’s officially a member of the family. 

Tom loves to be pet, but if you pet him for a second longer than he wants, he gives a warning bite. Bates’ mom is the only one who’s allowed to pick him up. He’s definitely more her cat than anyone else’s, which is how he got his name. Tom stands for Teresa’s Orange Monster. 

Despite it all, Tom’s family loves him so much, and somehow, they wouldn’t have him any other way.

“Tom wants to be a lover but isn’t sure how,” Bates said. “I am pretty sure the moment he showed up, my folks knew they were keeping him.” 

Tom the orange cat showed up exactly when he was needed, and both he and his family are so grateful that they found each other — even though Tom occasionally forgets to show it.