One woman has travelled all the way from New Jersey, USA, just to adopt a Maltese stray and take him to a forever home.

“Nearly two months ago we got a phone call from an American tourist, telling us how she met this poor stray cat, how friendly he is and how she simply could not leave him behind her in the streets when she goes back to her country,” the Association for Abandoned Animals said, breaking down what happened.

The AAA typically only handles cases involving dogs – but this woman was so determined to give Charlie the cat a loving home, that she offered to cover all costs, so AAA got to work.

“We cannot admit any cats in a sanctuary full of dogs but we also knew that this was the cat’s only chance to live as a pet with a human mother who loves animals and also volunteers in her country,” they said.

“So a volunteer took Charlie the cat in with her other two cats (and two daughters who of course loved an extra cat for some weeks). Papers, passport, rabies, chip and a few other things were prepared for this long journey.”