Russell Crowe pays heartfelt tribute to the cat he rescued for his mother

By Megan Stone

"Gladiator" actor Russell Crowe is mourning the passing of his mother's old cat by sharing the incredible history the two shared.

Crowe rescued the cat, who was abandoned on the side of the road, when she was just a kitten. The 56-year-old actor relayed the story of Cinders in "A tale in a few tweets," which he advised "Goes better with tea."

"In early 2003 my mum started agitating for a cat," detailed Crowe, who said he was against the idea because cats are the "notorious enemy of bird life." However, things changed when the actor was training for his upcoming role in "Cinderella Man."

"My mum kept asking for a cat. In front of all the boxers," Crowe hilariously noted. "I kept saying no."

Turns out fate had something special in store when he went on a mountain bike ride with some friends. After defeating a particular nasty hill, Crowe took a beat to enjoy a moment of "zen," which was quickly interrupted by "something out of place."

He then understood the noise he heard to be desperate meowing and set off through "the rain forest. Thick with ferns and vines" until he came across "a kitten." The actor quickly deduced the cat was abandoned and decided then and there he was taking it. "I put the kitten in my backpack and rode on," Crowe reflected.

Apparently, his discovery was a hit with his fellow bikers, who went "crazy" when they saw it, but no one was more excited to see the kitten than his mother, who "was floored."

The point of the story... that kitten, called Cinders ( Cinderella Man ) died yesterday.
She had never grown to be fully trusting of humans, but, she loved my mum and my mum loved her.

Fairly aggressive with dogs and others, but she never scratched me. I took that as gratitude. pic.twitter.com/WShQH4Sv8P

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) June 10, 2020

Crowe believes their meeting was destiny. "She had never grown to be fully trusting of humans, but, she loved my mum and my mum loved her," he sweetly concluded, adding that "she never scratched me. I took that as gratitude."