Florida fitness model Lali’s TikTok has been taken over by an adorable rescued kitten named Mango, or spicy Mango. And in a TikTok that racked up over 8.8M views, Lali explains how she found the kitten… or was chosen?
“We found this baby in our backyard,” the TikTok caption states.
Then, you can see the feisty kitten swatting as a hand gently offers a treat. Next, Lali tried to hold him with a gloved hand, but he cried out, unsure and afraid. Soon, the bite turns into a lick as the kitten smells her hand. Behind his sparkling blue eyes, you can see him learning to trust slowly.
Images and media via TikTok/lalibae_
Kitten Takes Over TikTok
Ever after that moment, the TikToks featuring the kitten took center stage. Within 24 hours, Lali was smitten by the little spicy furball, who was still warming up to the idea of being touched. Now, the model began the work of caring for a stray kitten, removing fleas, syringe-feeding him, and taking him to the vet. Eventually, he gave up resisting and enjoyed “sleeping with a full tummy and no fear.”
As the views skyrocketed, everyone tried to offer their two cents on what to do to ensure the kitten would be well-taken care of. Also, everyone demanded more TikToks featuring him. Thus, the stunning modeling pictures mostly got replaced by the kitten! Moreover, they demanded that she keep the kitten. But they didn’t know that the model already had two dogs, and she worried about how they would respond.
🌼 Mango Makes a New Bestie – Daisy 🌼
Despite concerns, the kitten quickly made a new best friend, Lali’s smaller white dog, Daisy. She is a Poodle and Maltese mix. Adorably, the two can frequently be seen cuddled up, napping together lovingly.
“Their love is so pure it hurts 😭” Lali says.
Then, the curious larger dog Missy became acquainted. It took three weeks of introducing them carefully, but you can see Missy licking the kitten affectionately by the fourth week.
🥭🌶️ Mango Becomes Part of the Family 🥭🌶️
After that, Lali and Mango would be “besties for life,” and a permanent part of the family. As he grew, the spiciness intensified as he wanted to play with everything and everyone. Over time, he still showed signs of food aggression, swatting when he ate food. Possibly, it is a symptom of his past trauma from starving on the street. To help, Lali petted him reassuringly while he ate.
“Poor baby still lives with the trauma of feeling abandoned and hungry. 🥺 Such a good mommy though to love her through it,” wrote one person.
“It’s so easy to love him,” replied Lali.
As Mango grew, he was prone to scratching, play-biting, and learning his boundaries. Sometimes, at 3 am, Mango would get a case of the zoomies. Eventually, he grew so big that play-fights with the dogs we’re like “front row seats to the best WWE.”
Mango Grows Into a Handsome (And Spicy) Cat
In an updated TikTok, Lali shares the journey as Mango grows into a handsome ever-spicy young man. Now, he’s learning to walk on a harness to go on walks with Daisy and Missy. Certainly, that will help the playful cat work out all that energy!
Still, parts of his kitten days remain the same, like sucking on his toes until he falls asleep.
Recently, Lali celebrated, “Happy one year of biting, terrorizing and scratching🎉 my handsome boy 😽.” While Mango will always be a spicy one, Lali is obsessed and loves him dearly. You can follow their funny adventures on TikTok.