A rescue set out to save a feral mom cat and her kittens. They found a special tomcat caring for them all. I'll just make myself at home right hereErika - Community Cat Club Sara Sharp, president of The Community Cat Club (a South Jersey volunteer-run rescue), was helping with a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) effort set out to look for a mother cat and her kittens. When she noticed a male tabby cat hanging around the area, she suspected he was protecting the property and feline residents.He was a large "Tom", the kind of cat most people assume has been on the streets too long to want anything from a human. But as Sara worked, he kept coming closer.And then, to her surprise, he let her pet him. Sara SharpSara noticed how affectionate he was from the very first moment. It was clear almost immediately that this wasn't a cat to release.He didnt fit out there on his own; he deserved somewhere warm, safe, and cared for, where he could settle in and feel secure. Sara SharpAfter a quarantine, Erika, a volunteer with the rescue, welcomed him into her home. She called him Sirloin and got to work helping him learn the one thing every indoor cat needs to figure out first: the litter box.He picked it up right away. Erika - Community Cat Club"It only took him a week to fully acclimate here," Erika shared. "He's a super confident cat." Today, Sirloin is 100% litter trained, a small milestone that means everything for a tomcat who spent who knows how long surviving outdoors.Sirloin turned out to be full of surprises. For one, he's polydactyl, with an extra toe on each foot. little mitten paws that make his already-big frame even more endearing. For another, despite being a grown tom, he still plays like a kitten. He pounces, he tumbles, and sometimes he forgets his own size entirely, crashing through the house with the enthusiasm of a cat half his weight. Erika - Community Cat ClubHis favorite pastime is making biscuits on a fuzzy blanket, kneading slowly with those extra-toed paws, in pure contentment. Erika - Community Cat ClubWhat has struck his foster family most, though, is how much he wants to be near people. Sirloin follows Erika from room to room. He stretches up on his back legs and reaches his front paws out the universal cat sign for pick me up, take me with you and once he's in her arms, he settles in like he is where hes supposed to be. Forever cuddles if you pick me up!Erika - Community Cat ClubNo one knows how long he spent out there. No one knows what his days looked like before Sara noticed him at the edge of the rescue site.What they do know is this: he eats like every meal might be his last, putting his whole face into the dish. He stretches out across soft beds as if he still can't quite believe they're his. And he asks for affection from everyone he meets, as though making up for lost time. Erika - Community Cat ClubSirloin wasn't who the rescue went looking for that day. They came for a mom and her kittens. They left with a gentle tomcat who had been hiding in plain sight, one who just needed someone to see him. Erika - Community Cat ClubSometimes all it takes is a little love and a little patience to change a tomcat's whole world.Share this story with your friends. More on Sirloin and Community Cat Club on Instagram @communitycatclub and Facebook. Thanks to Sara @hoiteytoitey and Erika @gridner.Related story: They Bring in a Kitten Spotted in a Puddle and Watch Her Blossom Alongside Cat Friend Who Matches Her Spirit