Tiny Mario was rescued by RSPCA officers in July, wandering alone in Tipton at just 5 weeks old.
And now the cheeky kitten – who looks like the gaming icon Super Mario due to his cute ‘tache-like facial markings – is hoping to power up and win himself a fun new home.
Mario was taken to the Birmingham Animal Centre and Hospital, in Frankley Green, where Animal Care Assistant and hand-rearing expert Chloe Sewell took him under her wing.
She said: “Mario is your typical boisterous, cheeky, mischievous little kitten. He’s utterly adorable and such good fun to have around, although he does still need to learn some social skills and pick up some manners!
“He is very playful and would quite happily play all day, though he doesn’t always understand that my hands are not his biting toys!
“He can be affectionate and cuddly when he’s snoozing and he’ll purr his head off, but he’s not really a lap-cat, though this may change as he matures and calms down.”
Mario’s arrival at the centre comes as the charity seeks video game fans, streamers and other content creators to support its work by taking part in its Stream for Every Kind fundraising drive.
The charity is raising funds to help more cats like Mario – with animal rescue staff hoping to now find the “energetic and adventurous” feline the perfect forever home.
Chloe added: “He has been by my side constantly for five weeks and is with me at work as well as when I go home. When we get back to mine at the end of the day, he is so excited to see my dog, Henry; they’re the best of friends and will play for hours on end.
“That’s why we’d love for him to find a home with a loving family who are ready to play lots of games and who already have a cat or a dog for him to play with.
“He’s very energetic and adventurous – much like his Mushroom Kingdom namesake – so we’d ideally like him to have access to the outdoors when he’s old enough. He’d also be suited to a family with children because as far as Mario’s concerned, the more people for him to play with, the better!”
Find out more about Mario online or contact the team on birmac@rspca.org.uk or 0300 123 8585.
‘Stream for Every Kind‘, the RSPCA’s annual streaming event, takes place in the first weekend of Adoptober, the charity’s annual month-long pet rehoming drive (October 2 – 4).
Those streaming and raising money for the RSPCA will help the charity raise awareness and vital funds for its work, including helping to rehome animals like Mario – at a time when animal cruelty has sadly been on the rise. Streamers are encouraged to undertake acts of kindness as part of their efforts – either within virtual gaming worlds, or as part of their streams if they are creating other content.
The RSPCA is currently at crisis point with its centres under huge pressure to find space for an ever-growing number of cats and kittens. New figures, released as part of the charity’s Cruelty Hurts, Love Rescues campaign – revealed that they have seen a staggering 67% increase in multi-cat (with 10 or more cats in a single property) in the last year. Officers dealt with 1,752 mass cat incidents in 2025; almost five every single day.
The charity said these multi-cat incidents, as well as an influx of cats and kittens during the key breeding season (May-Sept) has put huge pressure on its rehoming centres.
- Find out more about Mario online or contact the team on birmac@rspca.org.uk or 0300 123 8585.
- To donate to help the RSPCA help more animals like Mario please visit rspca.org.uk/summer-appeal.
- To see all of the animals waiting for new homes in the RSPCA’s rescue centres across England and Wales, visit rspca.org.uk/findapet.