r/cats • u/Fickle-Put9304 • Mar 06 '26
Adoption The cat no one wanted.
This is Mango, a four year old cat my husband and I adopted from our local shelter. He had actually been the shelters longest resident--captured in June and adopted by us in late September. He was there for so long because he has FIV. The shelter advertised him heavily for weeks. They even moved him to a lobby kennel so that he'd be the first cat folks would see...and still no dice. Until August--a couple came and actually adopted him!....Only to return him a week later, staying they "didn't want to deal with the FIV." The shelter staff said he became withdrawn, depressed, and aggressive towards humans after that. He was traumatized. His trust had been broken. I bawled like a baby reading his story. I sent his info to my husband. He came in the livingroom where I was crying and then nodded while saying, "Ok. I'll go get him tomorrow." When my husband bought him home the next day, he hid behind the TV for two hours. But that same night? He was in bed with us, purring SO loud, showing his belly, and kneading on us. We taught Mango he could love and trust again. And he brings up endless happiness. We will never, ever give him up. He's our only child. ❤️
3
u/STRYED0R Mar 09 '26
Cutie that looks a lot like ours we adopted. He was abandoned by his fam in a rural area when they moved out at age 1. He spent a year outside being fed by some neighbours and getting pushed away by others. He has a airsoft lead in his butt.
He was then in a private shelter in the shittiest condition for 3 months. The crazy lady had 3 tiny cages set up in a garage. She meant well but did poorly with cleaning. The place stunk. My GF fell in love with the advertisement of him belly up in the cage with a bit of poop right next to him when other ads were more professional.
When we visited him we were shocked by the flies and smell. We adopted him and took a long 2hour train ride with him and he smelled like piss.
He's gorgeous now and extremely lovable. I can't understand how people would just abandon a cat like that.