When she was two years old, Loralie Johnson’s parents discovered a litter of kittens in their barn. Loralie immediately fell in love with a grey-striped kitten she named Obadiah.

“She would sneak him into the house and dress him in her American Girl Doll clothing. And he would just purr and purr. He followed her everywhere. She loved him more than any child I’ve ever seen love an animal,” said Whitney, Loralie’s mother.

Unfortunately, Obadiah went missing one day and was discovered under the back deck where he had died from a rare tick bite. Loralie was heartbroken so her parents researched cat breeds and found a loving cat to surprise Loralie with when she came home from school.

Loralie and Snuggles, the new cat, have become fast friends and all is well in Loralie’s life, thanks to the existence of another cat.

To read about how a cat helped heal the broken heart of a little girl, click here.