Jenna Fischer Shares Adorable Adoption Story of Her Kitten Sonny: 'He Picked Us'

Kara Warner
Updated

As an experienced cat owner, and volunteer foster parent for L.A.’s Kitten Rescue, Jenna Fischer knew that when it came time to adopt another cat, it would have to be a family decision.

So when the Splitting Up Together star, 45, and her family (husband Lee Kirk, daughter Harper, 4, and son Weston, 7) went looking for their new furry family member, they had a plan — but a sweet orange tabby kitten named Sonny changed all of that.

“I’ve rescued and rehabilitated about 13 cats, which people often think that that means I have 13 cats personally, but actually we’ve been without a pet for a few years now,” Fischer tells PEOPLE. “We went in looking for a white and gray fluffy cat, that’s mostly what my daughter wanted. Little orange Sonny just walked right up to us. He was like, ‘Hey guys, so, I’ll be coming home with you today. Feel free to take a look around, check out some of the other cats, but in the end I will be your cat.’ That is how we met Sonny.”

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Fischer says that Sonny sealed the deal by sitting on each family member’s lap and purring.

“He really picked us,” she says. “That’s what my mom always says, she says ‘When you rescue a pet, let them pick you, and then you pick them back.’ “

The Office alumna adds that so far, Sonny’s best trait is that he loves everyone.

For much more on Jenna Fischer, Sonny and several other celebrity “cat ladies,” pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE on newsstands Friday

“He doesn’t play favorites with anyone in the family,” she says. “He’s happy to sit on my daughter’s lap, my son’s lap, me and my husband’s. He loves all of us and that’s perfect for a family. He’s a great, great family cat.”

Sonny is also “really funny,” notes Fischer. “He’s a rascal, he gets into everything. He tries to eat all the food and play with everything. Everything is a toy, he’s in that kitten phase. He makes us laugh a lot.”