Two weeks ago, Kris Northrup went on a short family vacation, expecting to rest and relax with her loved ones. But minutes into the trip, her plans came to a halt when a fluffy stranger ran up to her.

The cat, later named Rufus, confronted Northrup without warning. Northrup, an experienced cat rescuer, was worried by Rufus’ demeanor and physique.

“Rufus literally came running up to our car when we pulled into the driveway of our one-night vacation rental,” Northrup told The Dodo. “I was horrified at his condition … [he was] emaciated, covered in painful mats and had a painful mouth.”

Instead of going inside and kicking her feet up, Northrup began investigating the cat’s origin story. She called the property owner and soon learned that Rufus was well-known in the community but didn’t have a family.

“He was a 24/7 outside community cat [who was] fed and cared for by neighbors,” Northrup said. “A compassionate neighbor, Kendra, [whom] I met and who cared deeply about this boy, shared her wishes that he be rescued and get the vet care he so obviously needed.”

Kendra had been caring for the cat as best as she could, but she sadly didn’t have the means to adopt him or take him to the vet. When she found out Northrup rescued cats, Kendra showed her a semi-recent picture of Rufus, which convinced her immediately.

“She showed me a picture of him a year ago when he was healthy, and that cemented it for me … I was going to rescue this severely emaciated and obviously neglected, matted cat,” Northrup said.

Northrup won Rufus over quickly and spent the rest of the day by his side. Although Rufus chose to sleep outside after gobbling down a delicious dinner served by Northrup, the sweet boy didn’t stray far from his new friend.

“When we left [the next] morning, Rufus came with us,” Northrup said. “He laid in my lap for most of the ride home.”

Rufus, later estimated to be around 14 years old, experienced many firsts after being rescued. Thanks to Northrup’s round-the-clock care, Rufus had a consistent food source for the first time and soon began to plump up. Next, the sweet boy received his very first bed.

As cozy as it felt under his paws, Rufus wasn’t quite sure what to make of his fleece bed. Then, his instincts started to kick in.

“He had no idea what it was!” Northrup said. “He made biscuits on the bed slowly and for quite a while … and finally, after a couple of minutes, laid down in comfort.”

You can watch Rufus react to his new bed here:

The cozy bed and frequent meals were just was Rufus needed. Diagnosed with a 4-5 grade heart murmur, stage 2-3 kidney disease, anemia and borderline hyperthyroidism, Rufus’s old body had already been through so much. Despite having limited time left, Northrup was determined to find him a loving foster hospice (fospice) home.

“The vet thinks he can go for another 6 months to 2 years,” Northrup said. “We’ll make it his best time.”

While Rufus rested, Northrup posted about the sweet boy online. Many animal advocates, like Show Your Soft Side, fell in love with Rufus right away and joined the campaign to find him a fospice home. That’s when Emily Luft learned about him.

“I was scrolling through my feed and saw the post about him needing a fospice,” Luft told The Dodo. “I thought he was such a sweet, cute man from the photos, and I thought he would be a great fit for my fiancé and I, after reading that he just wants to eat and hang out with people.”

Luft was drawn to Rufus as soon as she laid eyes on him. But it wasn’t just his sweet face that captured Luft’s heart; his story reminded her of someone special, ultimately convincing her to take him in.

“I was immediately reminded of the cat I grew up with, Callie. She lived to be almost 21, and as she got older, she acquired more health issues (one being kidney disease, which Rufus has). I got to spend Callie’s last three or so years at home with her, and I really enjoyed spending that time being her cuddle buddy,” Luft said. “I’m so glad I got to be there for her as one of her main caretakers. When I saw Rufus, I knew that I wanted to be that person for him, giving him that same kind of love and patience I had for Callie during her last years.”

Luft and her fiancé inquired about adopting Rufus, and before long, they signed the papers to make it official. Rufus is set to go to his forever home this week, and as much as she’ll miss having the little guy around, Northrup is thrilled to see her wish for Rufus come true.

Rufus’ other friends, like his sweet neighbor Kendra, also couldn’t be happier for him.

“I can’t thank you enough for giving him the love and care he deserves for however many more days he has on this earth,” Kendra wrote in a text to Northrup, later shared with The Dodo. “He’s been looking for a ‘home’ for as long as I have known him, and what you have done is a true blessing.”