When Jessica Leatherman saw an adult male cat sadly sitting in a pet shop cage while shopping for dog food, she had to ask about him.
“He just was not moving. He was very depressed,” Leatherman says in a TikTok about Craig’s adoption, according to Yahoo.
She learned that the cat had been sitting there for over eight months and decided that she would be the one to adopt him.
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She named him Craig, and now Craig is a dedicated member of his family.
He’s so dedicated that he’s assigned himself a job as the family’s official bus stop bodyguard.
Every single day, Craig makes sure that Leatherman’s 7-year-old daughter gets on the bus safely.
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Craig absolutely loves the little girl. He even started watching her morning routine and decided he wanted to be a part of it.
He began to wait at the door when she would leave for the school bus.
Leatherman finally decided to just let him out along with her daughter one morning.
“The bus stops right in front of our house, and I figured I’d let him come outside [so he could] hang out with me,” Leatherman said. “But instead of me, he chose to hang out with her, and he followed her down the sidewalk and down the driveway and just sat there the entire time she was waiting for the bus.”
He didn’t just wait with her until she got on the bus. He waited until the bus pulled away so he could make sure that she boarded safely and everything was in order and she was safe.
“When it happened, I was like, ‘Is he really doing this?’ And as soon as she got on, I expected him to wander back to me, but he sat there and made sure she got on the bus and then watched it drive away,” Leaderman said. “He will not leave the corner of the bus stop until it is out of sight.”
At first, Leatherman thought it would be a one-time thing, but now he does it every day.
And he takes his job very seriously.
“He’s been doing it every day,” Leatherman said. “He’s given himself the job. I don’t know why but it’s super sweet. Now all the neighborhood kids know him, and the whole bus is like, ‘Craig!’ whenever they pull up,” Leatherman said. “So he’s just kind of become this sweet little neighborhood mascot in a way.”
And Craig does double duty. He also is there when the little girl gets off the bus.
“They are two peas in a pod,” Leatherman said. “She’ll be sitting next to him, and he’ll just rub all over her and purr. It’s the cutest thing.”
Leatherman seems to think Craig has a very specific motive.
“He’ll follow her around the house if he’s awake and just lie down near her, almost as if he’s protecting her,” she said.
Videos of Craig’s bus duty started going viral. Check one out below!
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@craig_the_cat Besties for life! I noticed today that Craig sits when he sees the bus. Also, look at his tail wag! 😂🤣 #craigthecat #busduty #ThatCloseMessenger ♬ Manke, honobo, everyday, funny, loop – arachang
