One Kitten’s Amazing Journey from Groundhog Hole to Forever Home (PHOTOS)

A year ago, kitten Tim was homeless, living in a vacant lot in North Carolina with only a groundhog hole as protection from chilly fall and winter weather.

Tim lived at this lot with a group of other kittens, who were presumably his siblings.

One day, a woman known as Reddit user Natasha10005 discovered the group at the empty lot, which sat right next to her workplace. Most of the kittens disappeared, afraid of visitors, and only Tim remained.

“Not sure what happened to them … I did see a black cat run across the lot the other day when I got to work so that may be one of his brothers still there. I tried to get close enough to them to catch them but they and the mom were all basically feral. We have a TNR (trap neuter release) program here where they fix them and notch their ears so if I see them again I’ll try and get some traps,” said Natasha via Life with Cats.

Natasha ended up rescuing Tim, and for the last year, he has been living a happy, healthy, and warm life with her indoors.

Discover Tim’s heartwarming journey from groundhog hole to forever home with the photo story below.

Coming to offer the feral kittens something to eat, Natasha snapped a photo of Tim and his siblings, who watched her curiously from afar.

While Tim ate up his meal, his siblings watched on, not wanting to get too close. Natasha says, “He was the only kitten that would really get close to any of us.”

Walking around the empty lot, Natasha discovered the groundhog hole the kittens called home.

That morning, she shared her chicken biscuit breakfast sandwich with Tim.

Not long after, Natasha brought him into her office, where he lived for a few days.

She soon brought him to the vet for a check-up. She notes, “He was purring so loud the doc couldn’t even hear his heartbeat.”

He was then quarantined in Natasha’s bedroom for a week to ensure he wouldn’t develop a respiratory infection or other conditions. Once his week was up, he finally met his adopted brothers, Stewie and Chiba.

He then took to napping with his stuffed troll…

…and learned “the ropes” with Stewie.

In no time, he was best friends with his new brothers.

Around Christmas time, he found a new spot to play…

…and got a little mischievous, shredding up some toilet paper, a phase Natasha says has “passed, thankfully.”

It soon came time for Tim to take another trip to the vet — this time to get neutered.

He recuperated well from his surgery and has since enjoyed napping on the couch with his brothers…

…and begging for affection.

Most importantly, he’s found a home where he can stay warm and safe and have fun — a place where he can be happy forever.

Many animals like Tim are searching for their forever homes too — check out these 10 mutts and 10 senior pets that are currently up for adoption. If you’re looking for another photo rescue story, don’t miss our feature on baby squirrel Zip right here.

All images: Natasha10005 / Imgur