Sadly, much of the United States has been plagued by forest fires in the past decade. From California to Tennessee, Oregon to Arizona, millions of Americans have had to deal with raging forest fires.

Humans aren’t the only ones who are impacted by forest fires, as animals are also put at risk by the flames.

The Kraus family learned firsthand how horrible wildfires can be when a band of dangerous wildfires tore through their hometown. They ended up getting lucky when their house avoided the flames, but their local wildlife wasn’t as lucky as they were.

George Kraus came upon two frightened and exhausted creatures, a wildcat and a fawn, trying to get their breath amidst the smoke. George is an experienced animal rescuer, so he brought them both home and nursed them back to health. In no time, the pair integrated with the other pets and worked their way into everyone’s hearts.

After a few months, the bobcat Benji had bonded with the Kraus family to the point where they felt more like the owners of a domestic cat rather than a wild animal. Benji loves to snuggle, play with toys, and take catnaps on the furniture in the Kraus home!

Though Benji has now been with the family for years, it’s important to remember that unless you are an experienced animal rescuer like George, you should call an animal rescue team to pick up wild creatures as soon as possible.

Watch Benji’s bond with the Kraus family for yourself in the video below!