Kitten thinks TikTok is the cat’s pajamas

Most of us are addicted to social media these days. Even our pets can’t seem to get enough of it. But when Wendy Gallant volunteered to foster an injured kitten, she never expected she might have to limit his screen time.

Hutton is an adorably fluffy, tabby-striped kitten who came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in need of veterinary care. He’d broken one of his front legs, and it didn’t heal well. Then, a serious infection had set in.

Best Friends veterinarians quickly went to work, but unfortunately, due to the severity of the infection and previous break, they had to amputate his leg. Hutton needed a soft place to land while he healed, and Wendy was happy to foster the tiny, three-legged little one.

Best Friends’ goal is for all shelters nationwide to reach no-kill in 2025, and people who step up to foster pets, either with Best Friends or any animal shelter or rescue organization, play a vital part in reaching that goal.

While Hutton’s first few days of recovery were a bit wobbly, life on three legs didn’t seem to faze this resilient little kitten. “He tried to jump on things, but his aim was a bit off at first,” notes Wendy. “There's a period of adapting, where they're trying to figure out their new center of gravity and how they can leap on things with three legs.”

[It’s a wonderful life for this three-legged kitten]

Hutton quickly accepted his new normal and got on with the business of playing in no time. “He struck me as this little old soul in a kitten outfit because he accepted new things so easily,” says Wendy. “He was so chillaxed.”

In fact, missing a front leg didn’t slow him down at all. He bounced around her house like a bunny, playing with her dogs and checking out hummingbirds outside the windows. But his true fascination was anything on a screen. Any time Wendy or her mom scrolled through videos on social media, Hutton was there in an instant.

“He loves to watch TV and can even play his own video games,” laughs Wendy. “He enjoys hanging out while you go down the proverbial TikTok or Facebook Reels rabbit hole, especially with my mom. We laugh a bit about limiting his screen time as you would any child. He gets so excited about it.”

In fact, whenever Wendy’s mom tried to scroll through social media videos, he’d sit on her shoulder or lap, watching intently. Then, he’d swipe at the screen with his paw, often changing the videos. Wendy notes that just watching him soon became more entertaining than the videos themselves.

[Life on three limbs can’t slow down this kitten]

Soon, this screen-savvy kitten was fully healed and ready to leave Wendy and her mom’s foster home for one of his own. Wendy says, “Goodbye is the goal so that I can say hello to the next foster (pet) who needs a soft, safe place to land for a while.”

Bree Goldman hadn’t planned on adopting another cat, but fate had other ideas. When Wendy posted some ridiculously adorable pictures of Hutton’s kitten shenanigans on Facebook, Bree fell head over paws in love.

Soon Hutton was on the road to his new home with Bree, where he’s settling in just fine with his new family. And Bree is happy to report Hutton has retained his penchant for all things screen related.

“I have a flip phone that opens into a tablet, and I downloaded an app for cats that lets them play with stuff,” says Bree. “He is ridiculous with that sort of thing. He’ll jump on my phone, even when the game isn’t playing because he just knows those fish are in there.”

As he settles into his new life, one thing’s for sure: Hutton will always be the kitten who mastered screen time and stole hearts along the way.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.