It was an eventful evening when an employee of a doggie daycare in Jonesboro, Arkansas walked out of the police station to report a car accident and was met with an unusual surprise.
As he approached his car, he heard strange noises coming from underneath the hood.
Once he opened the car hood, a spunky orange kitten popped out!
Keep reading to learn how this surprise encounter landed this lucky orange cat an unusual job.
On the Lookout
Hounds’ Hideaway, a boarding facility and doggie daycare, had just opened a second location in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
The main Hounds’ Hideaway location in a neighboring town had adopted a resident pet.
The new location was excited to follow in their footsteps and adopt an animal that could call the doggie daycare home.
However, the new location wanted to take some time to establish themselves and get things rolling before they adopted a resident animal.
Little did they know, fate had other plans in store for them…
A Chance Encounter
Hailey, the manager of Hounds’ Hideaway in Jonesboro, was under the impression it would be a while before the business adopted a resident pet.
Everything changed one cold winter night when another employee had a chance encounter that left Hounds’ Hideaway with a big decision to make.
“One of our employees had a car accident and had to go to the police station to work through the insurance,” Hailey shared with National Kitty. “When he came back outside, he heard something in his car.”
Puzzled by the noises, he took a closer look and traced them back to the hood of his car.
When he opened the hood, an orange kitten popped his head out like a jack in the box!
Can We Keep Him?
The kitten must have crawled inside the car engine for warmth.
“It gets really cold in Jonesboro during the winter. The poor little guy was probably freezing,” Hailey explained.
The concerned employee contacted his coworkers to see what he should do.
They agreed he should take the kitten to Hounds’ Hideaway where he would have a safe place to stay while they waited to see if the Humane Society could take him.
Little did the employees know, this sweet orange tabby had big plans of his own.
“He was a fussy little orange kitten,” Hailey said. “So, of course, our employees just fell in love with him.”
The kitten, later named Cheeto, was irresistible. His wit and charm were hard to overlook!
Everyone was thinking the exact same thing – can we keep him?
The owner of the location was hesitant to adopt a resident cat so soon after opening.
It would a little unusual for a cat to be the resident pet in a facility with only dogs. After all, this was a doggy care.
Then something incredible happened that changed the owner’s mind forever…
The Tipping Point
Hailey had agreed to take the kitten to the humane society once they opened for the week.
However, once clients started showing up with their dogs, everyone was shocked by the kitten’s response!
Not only was Cheeto a real catch among the employees, but the dogs loved him too!
“He wasn’t phased by dogs, and he loved the human clients,” Hailey shared. “So, after maybe a week we thought, ‘This cat belongs here.’ It was like fate!”
The decision was made: this orange kitten wasn’t going anywhere!
He belonged at Hounds’ Hideaway.
They named him Cheeto after his bright orange coat.
In reality, Cheeto had already made the decision for them from day one.
He knew he was too cute to resist! There was no turning back for this sweet orange tabby.
Cheeto instantly became part of the Hounds’ Hideaway family.
An Identity Crisis
Cheeto fit right in at Hounds’ Hideaway.
While most cats would be overwhelmed by all the dogs and commotion, Cheeto seemed to enjoy it!
Cheeto has an appetite for adventure. He loves a good thrill!
Cheeto loves to play, run around, and explore with the dogs.
The daycare pups welcomed him with open arms as one of their own.
Clients were thrilled to see a cat so excited to play with their dogs!
“He glued himself to the facility,” said Hailey. “The clients quickly got really attached to him too.”
In fact, Cheeto doesn’t seem to know he’s a cat. He thinks he’s one of the dogs!
No one has the heart to tell him the truth. He enjoys the dog life too much.
The dogs haven’t seemed to notice either!
Part Time Cat, Full Time Manager
You can find Cheeto assisting employees with their daily doggie daycare duties and greeting clients with a friendly nudge.
He enjoys sitting in the employees’ laps and supervising them as they work.
Don’t bee fooled– it’s a hard job being a doggie daycare cat.
Cheeto makes it look so easy.
It may look like all fun and games, but Cheeto is a very busy man!
So many laps to sit in. So many employees to supervise. So many clients to greet. So many pups to cuddle. So many treats to sniff (and steal).
The list goes on and on. We can all learn a thing or two from Cheeto’s work ethic.
In fact, Cheeto isn’t just any resident cat– he’s the honorary Hounds’ Hideaway manager.
He runs the place! This is Cheeto’s world. We all just happen to live in it.
And he’s quite productive. Just look at how successful he is.
Not everyone can accomplish so much and take 12 nap breaks.
Let’s just say he’s very “efficient”.
Cheeto is never late to a staff meeting and always makes a significant contribution to group discussions.
He’s such a great leader that no one seems to mind when he falls asleep or licks his butt during meetings.
A Local Celebrity
Over the last two years, Cheeto has grown in both size and popularity!
He is now a whopping 16 pounds and the talk of the town.
“People bring him gifts and treats and toys,” Hailey said. “Even the vet makes a facebook post when he visits them for his yearly checkup.”
Despite his celebrity status, Cheeto is as laid back and humble as he was from the start.
Though he insists on having glamorous photoshoots. He’s got a reputation to keep up!
He knows his loyal fans are eager to see him in the spotlight.
Happily Ever After
Cheeto went from being a homeless kitten seeking warmth in a car engine to a full time doggie daycare manager and celebrity!
All the dogs, clients, and employees of Hounds’ Hideaway are so grateful he entered their lives.
They couldn’t imagine life without their sweet, orange boy.
“Now I’m a true believer that you don’t choose a cat. A cat chooses you. And I’m so happy Cheeto chose us! We are absolutely in love with him,” Hailey shared.
Sheila Wren
Tuesday 22nd of June 2021
Great story Cheeto is a gorgeous cat. He has definitely won a lot of hearts in Jonesboro. And looks like he is doing a fantastic job.
Lee
Monday 21st of June 2021
That is a gorgeous orange tabby! Adorable face and what a personality. This story made my day! Thank you
Kim Groom
Sunday 20th of June 2021
I think that is great that Cheeto has a place to stay. It is cute that is the head of a doggie daycare. Just take care of him and don't let him get away. God bless.
Kate
Friday 18th of June 2021
What a truly excellent cat and a wonderful story. I was really needing to smile and thanks to Cheeto i got a smile and a couple pf laughs. One of a kind that guy.
Ann Gill
Tuesday 11th of August 2020
I wonder if anyone out there to give me some pointers in how to get one of my cats to poop in the box not outside/beside the box. I have to kitties about 1 1/2 years old. They have always been good about their toilet habits. And we are good about cleaning the boxes (yes I have two of them) everyday and sometimes 2 times a day. But Ziva pees in the boxes but when it comes to pooping it is always outside of the boxes. Any ideas..? AnnieG