In October 2026, the ginger cat that became famous for sleeping at the feet of the sentries in Tiananmen Square was caught and relocated to the Forbidden City area. A video in which the fluffy "little helper" peacefully dozes beside a motionless soldier has racked up millions of views and turned the animal into a true star of Chinese social media.
The cat, nicknamed the "little orange guard", often approached the post of Bai Shiquan, a soldier of the People's Armed Police. The soldier recalled how one day, during the rain, the cat climbed onto the post, and he shifted slightly to shield it from the raindrops. Gradually the cat became a constant companion on his shifts, and footage of their friendship spread across the internet.
On 14 October, volunteers from the "Palace Cats" project posted footage of the capture on social media. The animal has already been taken to the Forbidden City area and placed in a veterinary clinic for examination. Staff at the Palace Museum confirmed that, after the health check, priority will be given to finding it a permanent home.
Workers at Zhongshan Park, where the cat used to live, noted that with the onset of cold weather, stray animals often do not survive the winter. According to them, "rehoming" is the best outcome for stray cats, and they hope the public will understand this.
The ginger cat is currently under the care of specialists. Once the medical procedures are complete, it will be able to find a family — and, perhaps, a new, now domestic "post".
