When Powell kindergartners and first graders ran through Powell High School’s Ag Barn last month, they eagerly petted and went face to face with every animal they could find. When they made it to the pigs they did their best to do the same, but the stubborn swine were not feeling all too social. Little did the kids know that a smaller and more cuddly animal was nearby the whole time. 

Powell High School student and Powell-Shoshone FFA member Tori Black found a kitten that morning while picking up lambs from Wendy Smith for the petting zoo — she named him Sunny, and with permission adopted him.

For the rest of the day Sunny hitchhiked in Black’s pocket, never far from the high school student. 

“He was adorable, he just came right up to me and he’s really cute … his eyes are really pretty,” Black said. 

All kittens are born with blue eyes which often change at about seven weeks. The blue color comes from light refraction and the absence of pigment, according to pet care resource Pets Radar. 

Towards the end of the day, Black began showing off the kitten to the young students who were surprisingly interested, she said.

“All of the kids really loved it, which is a little weird because you see cats on an everyday basis, and you don’t see pigs everyday but they want the cat more,” Black joked. 

After bringing joy to children, Sunny’s next stop was set to be Black’s home, unbeknownst to her mother. 

That plan never came to fruition, so Black had to pivot. Sunny is now the Powell-Shoshone FFA’s barn cat, something they needed, she said.

“He’s our FFA kitten now and he eats the mice and I go check on him every day just to see how he’s doing and he’s doing real good,” Black said.