“The rescuers tried to catch him, but he hid himself deep inside a drain at a back alley,” Chan Munling, a veterinarian at Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group, told The Dodo.

The rescuers didn’t give up. The next day, they returned to the drain, which was made up of old concrete slabs, to see if he was still there. As luck would have it, he was.

“The rescuers tried to lure him out of the drain with food, but were unable yet again,” Munling said.

Then an older cat appeared, who they presumed was Oreo’s mom, as well as three of Oreo’s siblings. None of them were in great shape, so they resolved to rescue them all — but Oreo, who was the smallest and weakest of the bunch, took priority.

When Oreo emerged from his hiding place again, the rescuers rushed to grab him. Once he was safe in their arms, they took him to a clinic run by Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group. Once Oreo was safe, they returned for the others.

The clinic staff helped Oreo get healthy and strong, but the kitten was horribly frightened of people, and spent a lot of time hiding. The Cat Welfare Society in Singapore eventually took over Oreo’s care, and they placed him in a foster home, which seemed to help Oreo gain some confidence.

A few weeks after that, a local family offered to adopt Oreo — and this changed his life forever.

“The adopter’s family has three daughters,” Munling said. “Sarah Yawen, the middle daughter, has always loved cats. She asked for a cat and [her] mom Christine said she could adopt one if she wins a gold medal in the National Maths Olympiad contest. Sarah won a gold medal! Together they looked through adoption appeals on the internet and found Oreo on [the] Cat Welfare Society.”

Oreo was still very timid when he moved in with his new family, but the three girls helped him adjust.

“The girls loved him a lot and soon he relaxed, grew to trust his family and loves to be a part of everything,” Munling said. “Oreo behaves well and always keeps himself clean. He loves to sit at the dinner table when the family has their meals. Every morning when the family is up, he will rush to ask for a rub or play.”

Oreo has formed an especially close bond with Sarah — he keeps her company while she does her homework and snuggles with her in bed.

“Sarah was very happy to have Oreo as a new member of the family,” Munling said.

Oreo’s siblings were also adopted into loving homes, but the rescuers did something different with their mom, whom they named Mystique. She was a bit feral and accustomed to living on the streets, so they realized that she wouldn’t adapt well to a domestic home. So after she was neutered and nursed back to health, the rescuers returned Mystique to the neighborhood where they originally found her, which they felt was the best thing for her.

“Rescuers continue to care for and watch over her,” Munling said.

Everyone involved in the rescue of the kittens are delighted by how everything worked out — but they’re especially thrilled for Oreo.

“Considering he was the weakest kitten … it was unlikely he would survive out there if he was not rescued,” Munling said. “It’s uplifting to know that he is with a family who loves him dearly.”