Taking in a pet can do wonders for one's mood and emotional health, and the father of Japanese Twitter user @turi2018 found that out in a surprising way after rescuing a kitten earlier this year.

Back in March, @turi2018's father rescued an young kitten that was being pecked at by a crow. He named the cat Ruru and bonded with her, and @turi2018 has been sharing a popular series of photos on their Twitter titled "my father and the cat" that shows their adorable relationship.

However, one recent post in particular seems to be warming the hearts of many on Twitter. @turi2018 shared a "before and after" comparison of her father and Ruru back in April, and one taken this month (November). In the half year that her father and Ruru have been living together, commenters picked up on a change in the father that left many touched, as @turi2018's caption explains:

"Today (left), April 17th (right). Living with cats is so mysterious. The cat has grown and my father got younger."

As many in the replies pointed out, while Ruru has grown bigger and no longer small enough to climb atop the father's shoulders, the father himself appears much more youthful and spirited, even with what seems to be better skin quality. Anyone following account can tell that the two have a loving bond, but perhaps that's provided a bit of a fountain of youth for the cat-loving dad.