We always talk about how losing our cat is going to be the most painful thing in the world. We, especially owners of adorable senior cats, dread this moment every single day. Because how could we ever live without them? And as true as that is… the opposite is worse. For a cat to lose its owner is much worse. At the very least, understand what is happening when they pass. Our cats have no clue. One day, we're gone for "no reason", and they just feel abandoned.
A cat who has been abandoned, whether literally or through the loss of their human, is a cat who is going to have a really difficult time getting adopted again. Because chances are that after a loss like that, their trust in humans would be essentially gone. And if gaining a cat's trust is hard, then regaining it after it's gone… would take a whole lot of work.
Knowing that there are people out there who are willing to put in the effort is something that we do not take for granted. We're thankful for each and every one. And yes, it may have taken the cat in today's story a year for a single adoption application to come, but that one application, from that one unique person who had so much love to give, is all that he needed. This woman worked hard to gain this kitty's trust. It took time, it took patience, but more than anything, it took endless understanding. And eventually, it worked.
She heard the hissing and growling. She knew that he bit people who came to visit the shelter in the past. But she knew, in her heart, that it was simply a "misunderstood" cat. His previous owner couldn't take care of him anymore, so he was surrendered and lost all of his trust in humans. But it was all coming from a place of pain. He had so much love to give. He just needed to find the right human to give it to.