The tiny kitten a Pennsylvania policeman saved from a kids’ game of toss is now becoming a permanent member of the officer’s family, according to CBS News.

Officer Martin of the Erie Police was responding to a call from concerned onlookers when he stumbled upon the distressing scene. A tiny, severely underweight kitten, not even one pound, was being callously tossed back and forth like a ball by kids. Officer Martin swiftly rescued the frightened kitten and rushed him to the veterinarian at the Association for Needy and Neglected Animals (ANNA) Shelter.

The defenseless kitten had a bloody nose when he arrived, but he fortunately came away from the traumatic event without any serious injuries.

“After running some diagnostics including x-rays it was determined he had no broken bones but was in shock,” the ANNA Shelter wrote in an update on Facebook. “To make matters worse… this poor boy was suffering from an upper respiratory infection to boot.”

The shelter named the approximately five-week-old kitten Oreo and got to work giving him the care he desperately needed. Oreo was never far from Officer Martin’s thoughts, it appears. After stopping by to check on him a few times, he officially made Oreo part of his family by deciding to foster and adopt him.

kitten in the hands of rescuing officer

Courtesy of the ANNA Shelter

Lady Freethinker commends the ANNA Shelter for their exceptional care of Oreo and Officer Martin for his unwavering compassion. He saved Oreo twice: first, from the kids who were tossing him around, and second, by deciding to give the sweet baby cat a home