Mittens, a fluffy ball of black and white fur with enormous green eyes, perched nervously on the windowsill. Today was his third birthday, and he’d spent the morning creating a very special video. With the help of a friendly volunteer (and a strategically placed milk carton), he’d filmed himself batting at a feathery toy, his little body wriggling with playful enthusiasm.

The video was uploaded to the shelter’s website, titled “Happy Meowday! It’s Mittens’ 3rd Birthday!” He envisioned hundreds of people watching, showering him with virtual birthday wishes and maybe even a few digital pats on the head. But as the clock ticked by, the view count remained stubbornly stuck at one: himself.

A tiny whimper escaped his throat. Did nobody find him cute? Did his video stink (of tuna, maybe, but definitely not of love!)?

Dejected, Mittens slunk back to his favorite cardboard box. Just then, the door to the cat room creaked open. A young couple, hand-in-hand, stood hesitantly at the entrance. The woman’s eyes scanned the room, then landed on Mittens.

“That’s him!” she exclaimed, pointing at the downcast kitty. The man chuckled. They walked towards Mittens’ box, their steps hesitant at first, then filled with a newfound determination.

The woman knelt beside the box, her voice soft as a lullaby. “Hey there, birthday boy! We saw your video. You were amazing!”

Mittens’ head snapped up. Did they really see his video? Did they really think he was amazing? He cautiously approached them, his tail held high in a question mark. The woman extended a finger, and Mittens nudged it with his wet nose, a purr rumbling in his chest.

The couple spent the next hour playing with Mittens, showering him with more attention than he’d ever received in his life. Turns out, the one person who saw his video was all it took. They were his perfect match, a family who didn’t care about a fancy pedigree or a viral video. They just saw a sweet, playful cat in need of love.

As Mittens snuggled into the woman’s arms on the way home, he realized that sometimes, the biggest celebrations happen with the smallest audiences. His birthday wish hadn’t come true in the way he’d imagined, but it had come true nonetheless. He was going home, finally, with a family who saw his purrfect potential, video or no video.