Most of us believe that our pets choose us, especially those who started as strays or rescues.
These animals were once looking for their forever homes.
Some wandered in the streets, while others were in shelters waiting for someone to stop and take a second look at them.
Yet, despite all the possibilities, the perfect pet would often find its way to us, choosing us before we could even choose them.
Tombi the Cat decided that his forever home would be a third-grade classroom.
He started appearing on public elementary school grounds in Izmir, Turkey, in 2018.
There was something unique about Tombi because he wasn’t skittish around people like most strays; he was the contrary.
He was friendly and loved all the attention.
Teachers and students noticed how he would walk up to them and ask for pets.
At first, he hung out in the school’s garden. There are more people to ask for pets there, after all.
But one day, Tombi decided to travel deeper inside the campus.
He went inside this third-grade classroom, and the rest was history.
Teacher Özlem Pınar Ivaşcu told The Dodo that he came inside the classroom, and the students instantly fell in love with him.
Tombi’s visits became regular, and he had the best attendance you would expect from a class cat.
You might think a cat in a classroom is a distraction, but Tombi’s effect on the students was the opposite.
According to Ms. Ivaşcu, since Tombi came to class regularly, her students wanted to arrive early because they were excited to see their favorite classmate.
They were also more behaved and quieter because Tombi kept them more engaged.
However, not everyone was pleased to know a cat was in their classroom.
Ms. Ivaşcu shared that one parent wrote to the school administration about having a stray cat in her child’s class, and she wasn’t happy about it.
They were forced to send Tombi to a foster home, but he wasn’t happy there.
Ms. Ivaşcu brought Tombi to her home, but nothing changed.
He was sad and wasn’t eating well.
The class sent him cards to comfort the poor cat, but that wasn’t enough.
Ms. Ivaşcu knew that Tombi’s place was in her classroom.
She brought this matter to social media, hoping to get support for the poor cat.
Ms. Ivaşcu’s online appeal was practical because it got the attention of the local media, her manager, and the school’s director.
Even the parent who complained about Tombi changed her mind!
Tombi got the go signal from the school officials, and Ms. Ivaşcu and her class were overjoyed.
The third-grade teacher was happy that everything was back to how it was: the kids were focused on their studies, and Tombi was back in total health, bringing love to his classmates.
His story became an inspiration that Ms. Ivaşcu wrote a storybook inspired by all this paw-sitivity.
She wrote a book about Tombi’s adventures with her students, immortalizing their time together.
Part of the book’s sales was donated to help care for strays in their area, including food and basic medical needs.
Learn more about Tombi’s books and his great adventure in the video below.
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