“He was super friendly.”
When Sarah, an employee at Gambill’s Pastaria, arrived to open the Tulsa, Oklahoma, restaurant one morning, she noticed a small, unfamiliar visitor waiting politely by the front door. Curled up on the mat was a bright orange cat who seemed to be expecting service.
Not sure how he’d react, Sarah cautiously walked over — but the little cat immediately leaned in for affection.
“He was incredibly friendly right from the start,” restaurant owner Hunter Stone Gambill told The Dodo.
The team affectionately named him Cheeto for his vibrant orange fur, though he quickly earned the nickname “Garfield” thanks to his pasta-adjacent lifestyle.
Cheeto didn’t just linger around the restaurant — he practically became part of the crew. Over the next few days, he hung out on the patio, greeting guests, rubbing against chairs, and nestling up beside diners as if he were the official host.
“Cheeto… loves attention and truly behaves like he’s on the payroll,” the restaurant joked on Instagram.
As smitten as the staff was, they knew the social little cat needed more than occasional pats from diners — he needed a safe, permanent home. They reached out to Emily Shelton Gamel and Terry Gamel, local TNR volunteers and foster advocates.
“When I saw they were feeding a cat right at the front of a busy street, I worried about him,” Emily told The Dodo.
The pair posted Cheeto’s photo in several lost pet groups, but no one stepped forward to claim him. Fortunately, this only meant his forever home could find him sooner.
That home came in the form of Tulsa residents George and Derek, who had been searching for a mellow, older companion for their cat, Qai. When they heard about Cheeto, everything clicked.
“He’s super calm,” Derek said. “He pays attention to everything — just a really sweet cat.”
Cheeto and Qai hit it off instantly, and the orange charmer has been soaking up all the affection he can get in his new home.
“He’s more perfect than we ever imagined,” George said.
From greeting customers at a pasta shop to being adored in a cozy home, Cheeto finally found exactly where he belongs.