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"As we were going through the adoption process, [the shelter] asked us if we wanted to 'think about it' because her last owners said she was 'aggressive,'" Emily, Ella's cat mom, explained. However, when they met Ella in the shelter's interaction room, Emily said, "I never got that feeling."
Many new cat parents will commonly integrate new cats into their homes by giving them a space of their own where they can take in new sights, sounds, and smells, and Emily and her husband were no different. While the bathroom was used as a transition point, Ella didn't need much time to acclimate.
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"[Ella] was not a shy cat at all. She almost immediately wanted to get out and explore," Emily affirmed. "She met my parents and [my husband's] parents, and everyone fell in love with her. Even today, if she meets someone new, her personality is very calm and warm."
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03
Emily and her husband enjoy streaming movies in their spare time, and it was when they watched The Grinch – the Benedict Cumberbatch version – they realized Ella couldn't take her eyes off it. Both of them were intrigued by Ella's reaction. Emily then turned to her husband and said, "You know, she was obsessed with it," which led her to start experimenting with other films.
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The next feature they showed Ella was Abominable, a story of three teenagers helping a Yeti return to his family, but Ella "just did not care for it." Nevertheless, the trio started watching people on YouTube, and other movies Emily and her husband enjoy, including those on Disney Plus, like Monsters, Inc., Aristocats, or The Lion King, and other "very stereotypical things that may be animals would enjoy," Emily explained.
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05
TikTok followers know Ella is already waiting in her own chair when her critiquing is ready to commence. Still, it's only the final part of Ella and her family's morning routine. Typically, Ella gets her breakfast early, then she'll join Emily back in bed to nap a bit longer. But if Emily doesn't join Ella in the living room after a while, Ella makes sure she pesters Emily to get up with a "crispy meow."
"[Ella] will come to the door and start meowing," Emily said. "I can easily hear her; she's very loud, and I'll see her staring at me from the door."
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Currently, Ella's favorites are animated features like Pingu, Oswald, and Phineas and Ferb. But followers often ask if she likes things with humans, and she does. "She likes Thor, but she does gravitate toward cartoons, but also a lot of music," Emily responded. Ella is particularly fond of the "Backpack Song" from Dora The Explorer and chart-toppers from Taylor Swift, but she is infatuated with Harry Styles.
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"I'm a huge Harry styles fan," Emily expounded. "When I was showing her his music videos, she was in love. From there, I started to show her his different music videos, interviews, and some from his One Direction days, and she just loves him."
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"I truly believe [Ella] can differentiate between who she likes," Emily emphasized. "We watched the Benedict Cumberbatch SNL before, and she was enthralled. She knew it was him. We watched Dr. Strange, and she just knows." Likewise, she has the same dedication to Harry Styles.
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"We have a record player, and I have all of Harry Styles' records, so if I put that on, she'll sit in the chair in the corner of the living room and relax and just stare at the record player," Emily beamed. "I definitely think she's a smart cat; she's well aware of her surroundings."
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Besides her film critiquing, Ella enjoys obsessing over her plush plant toys - especially the faux seed packet filled with catnip - and hanging out with her sister, the couple's other cat, Jovie. They've been together a year and a half now, and Ella went from just "tolerating" Jovie, to seeking her out to play or getting together to take an afternoon nap.
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Ella will continue to update her TikTok fans on her latest opinions on all things film, but she is also thankful for such loving owners that made her a place to express her personality. Although it took her nearly a decade to find a forever home, she represents hope for other senior cats looking for affection and respect.
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"I think every animal, regardless of age or status, you have to give them a chance," Emily contended. "I just can't imagine a life without her now. It's crazy that people would give up that life with her." Emily added that many budding cat parents may focus on the negatives when adopting a senior cat and overlook the positives.
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"I got one of my best friends out of it, Ella," she said. "I never want her or any animal to feel or think there isn't love for me because of their age."
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