Look out Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub. Sticky the Kitty is clawing at your celebrity scratching posts, although not because of a genetic anomaly.

But before we get into the details, we must set the record straight.

Sticky, the kitten glued to a northeast Salem road and rescued by a Silverton man, is a boy.

His gender identity was discovered during a follow-up visit to the veterinary clinic that treated him after Chuck Hawley peeled his tiny paws from the pavement Oct. 19.

It just goes to show that even professionals find it tricky to distinguish a young female kitten from a male. In all fairness, Sticky's privates could have been concealed by glue.

Regardless of gender — he's been neutered — the kitten's story of hope and inspiration is making a difference. And not just in the Mid-Valley, but across the globe.

He helped reunite an estranged father and son in Scotland and convince a United Kingdom man to dismiss suicidal thoughts.

"We thought it would probably die down in a week," Hawley said of all the attention. "But every day we get 100 messages from people saying that this just makes their day."

Sticky has more than 35,000 Likes on his Facebook page. That's a far cry from Grumpy Cat, who has 8.5 million, and Lil Bub, who has 2.9 million, but they've been basking in the internet spotlight since around 2012.

Sticky is just two months into stardom and already has a nonprofit in his name, merchandise bearing his likeness, and a book about his rescue.

The Sticky the Kitty Foundation was prompted by donations that came pouring in after the story went viral. The Hawleys didn't need the money, so they decided to use it to help animals and humans in need.

They sent a $100 donation to a fund for animals rescued during the Camp Fire in California.

They sent a case of kitten formula to a shelter in Medford.

They donated $400 to a Cub Scout troop that provided Christmas trees to 20 families.

And they arranged a monthly donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Their ultimate goal is to start a fund at Silver Creek Animal Clinic, where Sticky is a patient, to help low-income families afford spay, neuter and other vet care for their pets.

Sticky has made celebrity appearances as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army red kettle drive at Fred Meyer South and during the toy drive at Silverton Fire District.

WATCH:The story of Sticky the kitty

Despite the demands of being famous, Sticky spends most of his time doing regular kitten things at his home in Silverton, which he shares with four humans and two canines.

He was a grey-and-white-striped blur during a recent visit, swatting a string of lights dangling from the Christmas tree, lunging at the flickering flames on the gas fireplace, playing with the swaying fringe of a floor lamp, and sneaking up behind Stewie the 8-pound Chihuahua.

"Everyone says he's such an angel," Hawley said of Sticky's fans, "but he has a wild streak in him for sure."

Sticky is feisty and fearless. The fearless trait may be because he may be deaf.

The family realized the kitten couldn't hear when the silverware drawer fell on the floor one day with a bang. The dogs scattered, and Sticky just sat there. They've tested their theory by making loud noises behind him, and he doesn't turn his head unless they touch him.

Being challenged just adds to his legend and makes his family love him even more.

Sticky secured a forever home about two months ago. JoJo, the family's beloved great Pyrenees, has since succumbed to cancer, and Sadie, a border collie-black Lab mix, has joined the brood.

Sticky and Stewie seem especially close, playfully wrestling on the floor while their human dad elaborated on the foundation's mission, which is to promote kindness through education, donation, and charity work for animals and people.

"Our mission is to spread #stickykindness and helping people #sticktoit in all areas of life," the website says. "Hope for the helpless!"

Hawley and Sticky plan to share their story with schoolchildren. Their first gig is in January at a Yamhill County school. One of their messages will be to stand up to bullying. Hawley was bullied in fifth grade, and Sticky was a victim of animal cruelty.

"It's humbling that this little kitten and that one act has done so much," Hawley said.

It all started on his early morning commute that October day. Hawley, the director of facilities at Salvation Army Kroc Center, stopped traffic in the middle of Silverton Road NE, just west of the Cordon intersection, to save a 1-pound kitten stuck to the pavement.

Hawley was an instant hero, a title he reluctantly accepts.

"I didn't do anything heroic," he said. "Anyone could have done it. But if I get to be the guy to say 'anybody can be a hero,' that's a cool job to have. I'll be that guy."

Their fateful meeting has been preserved in a children's book written by Hawley and illustrated by an Auburn University student. More than 300 books were pre-sold before it went to print, and it's now available for purchase at stickythekitty.com. A portion of the proceeds benefits the foundation.

All proceeds from the sale of Sticky merchandise go to the foundation, and the growing list that includes calendars, T-shirts, mousepads, tote bags, baseball caps, and Sticky Notes.

Hawley's wife, Mikee, handles merchandise sales and foundation business, and accounting and transparency are important to them. By day she's an assistant controller for Space Age Fuel.

She also handles Facebook posts, quickly learning how fickle and demanding Sticky's fans can be. If they don't see morning and evening updates, they get concerned about the kitten's well-being.

"Those people actually look forward to what Sticky has to say or what he's up to," she said.

Among Sticky's biggest fans are six rugby players in Australia. They have a large poster of the kitten on Hawley's shoulder and drink every weekend to the kitten and his hero.

We're with them. Cheers to everything about this story!

Sticky the kitty:Kitten glued to road rescued by driver on his way to work in Salem

"Forward This" taps into the heart of the Mid-Valley — its people, history, and issues. Contact Capi Lynn at clynn@StatesmanJournal.com or 503-399-6710, or follow her the rest of the week on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.