Sam Steingard's mom told him, "If you're not going to do that, I'm going to make you take pictures with the cat."
For one Maryland teen, the purr-fect date was the family feline.
Read: Cat Caught Stealing 11 Pairs of Underwear and Over 50 Socks from Neighbors
Sam Steingard, of Germantown, had never intended to bring a date to last year's prom, his sister Caroline told InsideEdition.com.
"My brother refused to get a date to prom," Caroline, 20, told InsideEdition.com. "He refused to ask anybody out, so my mom said, 'If you're not going to do that, I'm going to make you take pictures with the cat.'"
But their mom never expected the image to go viral a year later, when Caroline uploaded them to Imgur earlier this week.
Sam and Ruby's popularity has even sparked a photoshop battle.
View post on imgur.com
Caroline said she had originally found the stray behind a Ruby Tuesday's. She aptly named her Ruby and brought her home — much to her dad's dismay — although he soon fell in love with the kitty.
Nearly ten years later, Ruby was going to prom.
True to his word, Sam promised his mom the not-so-traditional photos that she wanted.
Caroline said that her mom even went and bought Ruby a dress, shoes and a sparkly pink collar for Sam's lucky lady.
Though her brother was reluctant to take the picture when the moment arrived, Caroline told InsideEdition.com that "she happened to be looking at him lovingly," and it clearly dispelled all her brother's doubts.
Read: Students Surprise Their Teacher With 2 Kittens After Her Beloved Cat Passed Away
Even though Sam didn't quite follow through and bring the family cat to the prom, Caroline assured that Ruby is truly the apple of Sam's eye.
In addition to the many outfits Ruby adorns, Sam even has an Instagram page, dedicated to his affection for his cat.
Watch: Super Students Dress As Batman, Captain America and Other Heroes For Prom
