Moment Man Surprises Wife With One-Eyed Rescue Kitten—She Can’t Say No

As the owner of three dogs, Alex Maisel insisted that her family didn’t need any more animals, but that all changed when her husband brought back a one-eyed rescue kitten, and he told Newsweek, why the kitten was a perfect fit.

Alex, 37, and Shane Maisel, 37, certainly have their hands full, with three children, aged 10, 12, and 16, and three dogs—a Great Pyrenees, a Kuvasz, and a Bernese Mountain dog and poodle mix. And the family was still reeling from the loss of a senior stray cat who had passed away and left them with “a little broken cat hole” in their hearts.

With that in mind, Alex Maisel could be forgiven for repeatedly telling her husband that they didn’t need any more animals at their home in Citrus County, Florida. But when Shane Maisel came across a Facebook post about a rescue kitten with one eye, named Athena, he knew she was the missing piece to their family.

He told Newsweek: “We have three large dogs who come with a lot of fur and dirt. We have to vacuum multiple times a day, so the phrase ‘no more animals’ has become a common saying in our house. Since the passing of Jerry, my wife has said no more animals except maybe a broken cat.

“My kids wanted to fill the void that Jerry left, who was an old white Persian cat we have for the last 2 years of his life. When I saw Athena, I knew she was ours and everyone was going to fall in love. It was love at first sight for everyone.”

When he saw that the local animal shelter posted a picture of Athena, Shane didn’t have any hesitations about adopting her. He didn’t even tell his wife what he was doing, as he simply said he was going out and “would be right back.” Alex had no idea that he’d be returning with a new family member.

Athena was taken into the shelter with an eye infection that couldn’t be treated, and she needed to have the eye removed. But Shane says she hasn’t let the surgery stop her from being full of life and energy.

“She is full of spunk and life, and her spirit hasn’t been diminished in the slightest,” Shane said.

“When I got home, Alex snuggled her and held her. When Alex was finally able to put her down, I watched my children fall in love with Athena one by one, and the dogs have been so gentle with her. Athena is doing amazing with us. She plays hard but also sleeps hard.”

Shane and Alex are so happy to give Athena her forever home where she “finally feels safe.” She’s gradually warming up to her canine siblings too, and before long she’ll likely be bossing them around.

A video was shared on TikTok (@themarvelousmrmaisel) showing the moment Shane surprised Alex with another pet, despite her protestations against any more animals. As soon as she laid eyes on Athena, she melted instantly and couldn’t possibly say no.

The clip has gone viral with over 718,100 views and more than 121,900 likes on TikTok at the time of writing. They have been amazed by the online reaction, which Shane says has been overwhelmingly positive.

He told Newsweek: “We’ve loved reading everyone’s comments, and people might not realize it, but they’ve really filled us with so much joy. We’re so grateful for all the support.

“Athena has some healing and growing to do, but we couldn’t love our little broken kitty more. We don’t say broken in a negative light either, as we’re all broken in some way. She’s the perfect piece to our puzzle, and this is just the beginning of Athena’s happily ever after.”

The video of Shane surprising his wife with the one-eyed kitten has amassed over 2,900 comments on TikTok in just a number of days.

One comment reads: “This couple have a special place in heaven.”

Another TikToker wrote: “This is the only reaction I want from someone bringing an animal home.”

“This video is so full of heartwarming goodness it brightens my day to know people like you both exist,” added one social media user.

While another commenter joked: “Someone teach my husband to bring me home animals.”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.