Andy had always wanted a cat, but there was one small obstacle – his wife, Diane, wasn’t on board with the idea. That didn’t stop him from getting creative, though. And his plan? Well, let’s just say it has won the internet.
Living in Columbus, Ohio, Andy and their three boys were all excited to welcome a furry friend into their home, but Diane wasn’t convinced they could handle the responsibility.
Year after year, no matter how many times Andy brought it up, Diane’s answer was always the same: no. But Andy wasn’t ready to give up on his dream. He knew Diane wasn’t totally against the idea, she just needed the right push.
And then, one day, an opportunity practically fell into his lap.
Andy’s parents showed up at his house with a box full of tiny kittens. They were on their way to drop them off at their new homes, but before that, they decided to make a quick stop.
And that one little detour changed everything.
Among the litter was a small, wide-eyed kitten named Penelope. The moment Andy and his boys saw her, it was game over. She was too perfect: tiny, soft, and full of that irresistible kitten charm, as Andy shared in an interview:
“We picked the sweetest cat of the litter.”
Andy and the boys were completely smitten with Penelope from the start. But getting Diane on board? That was going to take some serious convincing.
Andy knew he couldn’t just say, ‘Let’s keep her.’ That would be a fast no. So, he got creative. He suggested a ‘trial run.’
Just a couple of days, he assured Diane, just to see how it would go. Of course, deep down, Andy knew exactly how it would go, as he shared:
“I explained to my wife that it was just a trial run for two days (with a wink) and that she could go back to my parents.”
Penelope knew exactly how to win hearts, and she got to work right away with Diane’s. At first, Diane stuck to the “trial run” idea, telling herself it was just temporary.
But then came the little justifications: what was the harm in a few extra days? Another week wouldn’t make a difference, right? Before she knew it, she wasn’t just letting Penelope stay – she was completely smitten.
Andy shared:
“I could tell that she was in love with Penelope as soon as she picked her up.”
Andy couldn’t resist sharing their little experiment with the world. He took a photo of Penelope looking adorably smug and posted it on Reddit, along with the story of their never-ending “trial run.” It didn’t take long for the internet to fall in love.
The post quickly took off, racking up over 66,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments from people who were equally entertained by Andy’s clever strategy and completely smitten with Penelope’s charm.
Some cheered him on, others shared their own similar pet stories, and many simply couldn’t get over how effortlessly the tiny kitten had won over Diane’s heart.
At one point, Diane jokingly made a deal – if the post got 5,000 upvotes, Penelope could stay. But before she knew it, there were 10,000! And as the numbers kept climbing, Diane finally gave up the game.
She didn’t need the internet to tell her what she already knew. Penelope wasn’t just a visitor anymore. She was home, as Andy shared:
“All in all, I think the trial run will be indefinite. Penelope is home. After the post started gaining traction, my wife commented that if the post got 5,000 upvotes, we could keep her. Then it became 10,000… and then she just kind of gave up.”
Of course, the “trial run” has turned into forever, and Penelope is officially part of the family. It may have taken years of convincing, a little creative thinking, and one absolutely perfect kitten, but in the end, Andy got his wish.
Some things are just meant to be.
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