Woman's cat quinceañera inspires a community to give back in a way she never imagined

It started with a tease, a short little video of Miranda Gonzalez holding her beloved tuxedo cat, Holly. But it wasn’t a normal day. As No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” plays, Miranda carries Holly, attired in a crown and custom lace gown edged in sparkles. It was Holly’s quinceañera, the celebration of her 15th birthday.

In another video that’s since gone viral with 5.4M views and 1.2M likes, Miranda shows Holly's entire cat quinceañera from start to finish. There’s Holly’s tiered white cake accented with gold roses and golden stairs upon which walk tiny gold cats; the customary rosary and Bible; Holly’s custom gown; Holly’s entrance to the party in a white, remote controlled, child-size toy Bentley convertible; Holly enjoying the mariachi band (which didn’t know the quinceañera was for a cat until it got there); and even Holly’s daddy-daughter dance.

Miranda adopted Holly 15 years ago when she was just a kitten. “She truly is my soul cat,” she wrote on TikTok. Since adopting Holly, it had been Miranda’s goal to not just have a long life with the cat, but to give the cat a quinceañera, Miranda toldThe Dodo. “It was always a dream of mine since she was little,” she said. “I wanted to celebrate our life together and show everyone my love for her!” Miranda’s friends and family came out to support Holly and the party in a big way: ”I found my people,” she wrote on one video.

In Miranda’s videos from the party, some of which have gone viral on their own, Holly, a famously chill cat, navigates the party with aplomb. She welcomes cuddles, sits intently watching the mariachi band, rests comfortably in dad’s arms as they dance, all the while wearing her gown and crown. Holly is used to parties, but also took plenty of breaks throughout for quiet time, Miranda said. Cats will often need time away from large groups at parties, even if they are chill cats, and it’s good to have spaces where they can relax with food, toys, and cozy corners, according to pet advice network Kinship.

As Holly’s quinceañera went viral, though, there was another exciting phenomenon: several other cats’ lives were saved in the process. “Gonzalez dedicated the party to Almost Home Cat Haven and encouraged people to contribute to their Amazon wish list,” The Dodo wrote. Almost Home is a no-kill cat rescue and adoption center in Houston, Texas, near where Gonzalez lives, and has been open for about a decade.

As the video made its way through the Internet, thousands of people contributed. The rescue had 135 items from their wish list donated, which included enough food to feed Almost Home cats for a month, and raised enough money to support the rescue’s rent and utilities for the next month as well. ”Our family loves volunteering at this rescue whose owners’ [sole] purpose is to make a difference in the community and save as many cats as she can!” Miranda wrote. Miranda has also started a GoFundMe to raise money for the shelter, which you can support here. There are so many ways to show love for a cat, whether it’s with a custom gown or a custom wish list order, and it’s even better if you can save a life in the process.