This Fort Worth feline won our cutest cat contest. His story is unforgettable
When Fort Worth readers cast their votes for the city’s cutest cat, one furry local celebrity rose far above the rest.
Lieutenant Dan, a six-year-old tuxedo tabby who doesn’t let paralysis slow him down, captured a majority of the votes in our contest and rose to the title of Fort Worth’s Cutest Cat.
Lieutenant Dan will also move on to our national poll to crown the country’s cutest cat.
Known for his social media fame and unstoppable spirit, this Fairmount favorite has become a symbol of resilience and community love.
Here’s what to know about Lieutenant Dan.
Who is Lieutenant Dan?
Lieutenant Dan’s story began in 2019 when Frida Castaneda, an animal rescuer and foster volunteer, received an email about a kitten born without the use of his back legs.
“I’d never cared for a cat with that level of disability before,” she said. “But after seeing his photo, I couldn’t let him go unrescued.”
She started fostering him that August, right before the pandemic. Working from home allowed her to learn his care routine and form a deep bond.
Within a year, she officially adopted him. “He was my first foster fail,” Castaneda said.
In the rescue world, a foster fail means you fall so in love with the animal you’re fostering that you end up keeping them.
Now six, Dan lives a full life surrounded by love, adventure, and an online fan base that stretches far beyond Fort Worth.
What started as a rescue turned into a lifelong friendship that continues to inspire everyone who meets him.
What makes Lieutenant Dan special?
“He can climb onto the couch, the bed, even the cat tree,” Castaneda said.
That same spirit inspired his name, a nod to the ”Forrest Gump” character who learned to live boldly despite his challenges.
“He’s Lieutenant Dan, and when he’s in trouble, he’s Daniel,” Castaneda said.
His resilience also became the heart of a children’s book titled ”Dan: The Cat Who Can.”
“People would always ask me, ‘Can he do this? Can he do that?’” Castaneda said. “And I’d tell them he can do everything, he just does it differently.”
At home, Dan is curious, talkative and always ready to make a new friend.
“If your hand is within reach, he’ll rub his head on it until you pet him,” she said. “He greets everyone who walks in with a happy scoot and a head rub.”
Lieutenant Dan wins the Cutest Cat contest
Castaneda said she was thrilled when she found out he won.
“I couldn’t wait to share the news with all his fans,” she said. “He’s got such a big support system.”
His fun fact from the poll summed him up perfectly: He loves strolling down Magnolia Avenue and hosting story times at the Fairmount Community Library.
But Lieutenant Dan’s fame isn’t just for show.
Each year, Castaneda helps organize the FairMEOWnt Cat Calendar, a neighborhood fundraiser for Meow Town Animal Rescue, the same group that helped save Dan.
“This is our fourth year doing the calendar,” she said. “Local businesses sponsor each month, and neighbors send in photos of their porch cats.”
Dan also acts as a mentor to foster kittens, teaching them how to play and socialize.
“He’s like their big brother,” Castaneda said. “He teaches them how to be a cat.”
When Dan was younger and critically ill, the community stepped in to cover his medical bills.
“The amount of support we got was incredible,” she said. “Now, we just try to pay that forward.”
Next: Lieutenant Dan will move on to compete in McClatchy’s national Cutest Cat Contest, where he’ll face off against cats from nearly 20 markets across the country.
This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 10:00 AM.
