Three tabby kittens were brought in off the streets of Washington, DC, and spent a full day and night in foster care waiting on their fourth brother, a clever grey and white kitten who had decided he was not quite ready to be caught. Peregrine, Percy, Patterson, and PascalCredit: Lauren When volunteers from Kate's Fosters (@katesfosters), Cap City Cats (@capcitycats), and Depawtment of Justice (@depawtment_of_justice) set out to rescue a litter of four kittens spotted on the streets of Washington, DC, they came back with three. Peregrine, Pascal, and Percy arrived in foster care together, a little wide-eyed and uncertain but otherwise intact. Their brother Patterson had other plans.While his siblings were being settled in and learning that blankets and warm meals were now part of the arrangement, Patterson was out there somewhere, doing exactly as he pleased. The trappers went back for him. It took an extra day of patient work, but they got him.The family was whole again. All four boys together for the first time, four sets of wide eyes taking in the same foster room, the same warm bed, the same patient human on the other side of the door. Credit: LaurenPeregrine, Pascal, and Percy arrived at around six weeks old, which falls within the critical window for socialization. It is the narrow stretch of time when a kitten decides whether the human world is something to fear or something to lean into. The three brothers tucked themselves into the back of their bed and watched with wide eyes while they made up their minds.They did not stay uncertain for long. "They're a tad shy, but they've warmed up a lot already," their foster, Lauren (@our_fostering_tails), shared with LoveMeow. Lauren works with several rescues across the city and took in all four boys once the trapping teams brought them together. Credit: LaurenAt that age, everything is still being decided. Over the weeks ahead, Lauren will spend her days proving to the brothers that humans can be pretty wonderful, and that the indoor life, with its warm beds, endless meals, and toys that squeak, really is the place to be. They are already starting to believe it.Patterson, for his part, arrived with a head start on confidence. A full night and day alone on the streets of DC will do that. PattersonCredit: LaurenHe is easy to spot in a lineup. While Peregrine, Pascal, and Percy are all tabby markings and matching energy, Patterson is solid grey on top, the clear standout of the four. There is a sweet reason for that. The tabby brothers all take after their mom, while Patterson is the spitting image of his dad.His name, meanwhile, is a nod to one of the most delightful sounds in existence: the soft pitter patter of kitten feet racing across a floor. Anyone who has heard it will understand immediately. Credit: LaurenWhen the trappers finally caught up with him and brought him back to his brothers, the reunion was immediate. "Seeing him slip right into the middle of his brothers' cuddle puddle and settle in among them again with a contented little sigh was the most heartwarming thing I've seen in a long while," Lauren shared. After a full day of pretending to be a brave and independent operator, Patterson curled up between his siblings and let himself be the baby he actually is. Credit: LaurenThere is good news beyond the foster room as well. Both mom and dad were trapped by the same teams and have since been spayed and neutered. The story that could have kept repeating itself on the streets of DC stops here.The boys do not know any of that, of course. They have grooming to attend to, baskets to investigate, and a great deal of energy to spend on both. Credit: LaurenPatterson has claimed his spot in the middle of every pile since his return, as though the solo adventure earned him permanent center placement. His brothers have not contested this. Some negotiations are better left unspoken.Four boys, safe and together, learning a little more every day about what it means to be warm. Percy has a lot to say about food!Credit: LaurenPercy, reportedly, has thoughts about all of this and is not keeping them to himself.Patterson has already moved on to planning his next adventure. Probably. Credit: LaurenThey came in off the streets of DC with nothing but each other. They leave that chapter with everything ahead of them. Share this story with your friends. More on Peregrine, Pascal, Patterson, and Percy and their foster journey with Lauren at Instagram @our_fostering_tails]. Trapping made possible by Kate's Fosters Instagram @katesfosters, Cap City Cats Instagram @capcitycats, and Depawtment of Justice Instagram @depawtment_of_justice.Related Story: They Welcome Stray Cat into Their Home and Watch Him Form the Sweetest Friendship with Another Cat