Nashville, Tennessee - Nikki was initially hesitant when a stray cat came by, but a deep personal bond between the feline and her young son changed everything.

A now-viral video shows exactly how Ryobi the cat inched his way into this family's heart.

The four-legged friend, who was abandoned by neighbors, kept wandering over to Nikki's youngest son Nash.

While they were skeptical about letting the pet into the apartment let alone adopting it, a special friendship soon developed between the little boy and the kitty.

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The clip from December 1 – captioned "Welcome home, Ryobi" – shows a touching encounter between the child and the cat.

The boy runs towards the cat somewhat clumsily, but the cat does not avoid him and is even happy about the awkward strokes the boy gives him.

That's when Nikki realized that Ryobi the cat was called would have to be part of the family from then on.

In an update, Nikky explains that they had the cat examined by a vet "and [he] is healthy!"

"He's been getting love, brushes, and warmth," she wrote in the update, adding that "it's amazing what love and warmth can do!"