Nelly may be a tortoise, but he has one very unusual habit.
He absolutely adores orange cats.
The rescued Hermann's tortoise was adopted from Feathers, Scales and Tails more than three years ago after being saved from a hoarding situation.
From the day he arrived in his new home, his owner, Amy Husk, noticed he was incredibly friendly and curious around both people and other animals.
But there was one surprising preference she never expected.
Orange tabbies.
Amy volunteers with If Cats Ruled The World Feline Rescue, regularly fostering kittens in her home. While Nelly was polite around most of them, he paid little attention to kittens of other colors.
Then an orange tabby named Mac arrived.
Everything changed.
“Nelly would follow him everywhere,” said Crystal Bryant, founder of the rescue. “He'd curl up beside him whenever Mac settled down.”
Since then, Nelly has developed an unmistakable pattern.
Black-and-white kittens? Hardly a glance.
Gray kittens? Not interested.
Orange kittens?
Instant best friends.
“The funniest thing is that he only seems interested in the orange ones,” Bryant said.
Recently, the rescue welcomed a pregnant cat from another hoarding situation. After she gave birth, one tiny orange kitten named Bert came into Amy's care as a foster.
Naturally, everyone wondered how Nelly would react.
The answer came almost immediately.
The moment the little tortoise spotted Bert, he hurried across the room as fast as his tiny legs could carry him, eager to introduce himself to his newest orange companion.
Bert, who had never met a tortoise before, wasn't quite sure what to make of his enthusiastic admirer.
Nelly, however, seemed completely convinced they were destined to be friends.
Rescuers believe it's only a matter of time before Bert realizes his unusual roommate simply wants someone to cuddle beside.
“It'll just be a matter of time,” Bryant said.
Videos of Nelly's adorable obsession with orange kittens have delighted animal lovers online, where viewers can't get enough of the unlikely friendships he keeps forming.
No one knows exactly why orange cats have captured the little tortoise's heart.
Some speculate it could be related to turtles' exceptional color vision, which allows them to distinguish colors remarkably well.
Or perhaps Nelly simply has a soft spot for ginger felines.
Whatever the reason, one thing is certain.
Whenever an orange kitten enters the room, Nelly is always the first to race over and say hello.
If you’d like to support Bert and the other kittens, you can donate to If Cats Ruled The World Feline Rescue.
