‘She acted like I was her human she’d known forever’: Heartbroken adopter arrives to bring home her soul-cat, only to learn the shelter gave her away despite calls, emails, and hours of bonding

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Jul 1, 2025 5:00 PM EDT

Adoption is tricky business, you can never quite tell what is going to happen. For some it is the surprise that the animal their intended to adopt is not the one who spoke to their soul in the end. For others, it is the too late realization that they have unwittingly brought home an agent of chaos who will massively depreciate their house's value.

And for some, like the lady in this story, it is the purely painful missed opportunity to bring home what she oh so rightful calls her soul cat. While this is not to say that their life would have been purrfect, the cat could have turned out to be super clawminal and used emotional manipulation to coerce and unwitting hooman into bringing them home. But the circumstances of this story truly highlight the harrowing experience of a person who found a soul connection in a cat.  

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  • 01
    I guess this is sort of just a vent, though if anyone has any advice I'd welcome it too. Maybe someone might understand.
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 02
    I visited my local cat sanctuary just to socialize the cats. But when I visited the "shy cat" room, one girl came bounding towards me and instantly climbed into my lap, purring up a storm. She just gazed
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 03
    up at me and let me cup her little face as she fell asleep. I spent hours with her after that, watching how she'd be with other people, but only with me did she behave this way. I
    via Wise_Safe717

  • Oh jheez, now that is some serious Cat Distribution System stuff right there. To walk into a room of cats who are known for not being extroverted towards people, and to have one of them choose you in such an intentional and intense way, is quite a lot. Begging the question of why shelters do not have a CDS fast track adoption system for shelter cats who choose their hoomans.

  • 04
    told them I'd come back the next day for her, which I did. I spent several hours the next day with her and everyone (staff and visitors alike) assumed I would bring her home and encouraged, including this one couple who had install come in to see her from her online listing because she is a pretty kitty. I
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 05
    have never in my life felt such a connection with an animal, and I am a huge animal lover who has always been the type of person to want to take animals home. But with her,
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 06

    Disclaimer: This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

    Cheezburger Image 10523674368
    via Kate via Adobe Stock

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  • 07
    this was something so special. She purred immediately upon seeing me the second day I came in, and even though she was very friendly with others who came in, she wouldn't do the same for them and would always return to me. I felt like I'd known this cat for years, like a piece of my heart had fallen into place. Like the final jigsaw piece.
    via Wise_Safe717

  • Ah, jheez, this is some heart melting stuff. Like seriously how could these two soulmates not end up together living happily ever after in their furever home? Is this world even just anymore? Ok it was never just, but at least a little lenient would be nice.

  • 08
    Unfortunately, I couldn't stay to start the process that day, so I sent a thorough email as soon as I got home and left a voicemail. In both, I told them I'd come by the next day (yesterday) and what time I'd be there for her.
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 09
    They didn't see any of my emails or check their voicemail box. I came to bring her home, only to find they had just sent her home with the couple who had come in the day before (and left immediately when they saw her attachment to me, even telling me how happy she would be with me). I'm just
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 10
    heartbroken. I feel almost betrayed that no one saw my emails or voicemails, in a way, though that might sound silly. I don't know why I feel so, so deeply about this one cat. I've been attached to many animals before, but I genuinely feel like a part of me has shattered. I've
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 11
    been in grief as though something died, and it's honestly so frustrating to feel so intensely for this cat because I'm now helpless to this situation. I don't know what to do, I feel like I'm at a loss. I felt a connection I've never felt before, and now she's gone. She acted like I
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 12
    was her human she'd known forever. I'm almost hoping the couple will bring her back, for one reason or another. The shelter put my number into her file in case she comes back. I'm so upset. The
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 13
    shelter had said I had priority on her because of my bond with her and me being there with her first, so why did this happen? I'm honestly just in so much grief. I've been
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 14
    crying over a cat I've only known for a few hours, so awfully you'd think I lost a lifelong pet. I know it sounds dramatic. I don't understand it either. I've loved many animals that
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 15

    Disclaimer: This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

    Cheezburger Image 10523674624
    via hedgehog94 via Adobe Stock
  • 16
    I ultimately was unable to take home with me, which of course was a very sad experience, but I've never felt this way before. I hope someone here might understand what I'm going through or may have advice. I'm in so much pain. I
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 17
    feel like I'd be willing to humiliate myself and beg the couple for her, which sounds so absurd. I'm not this type of person usually. I feel like I lost my best friend, and I don't even understand it.
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 18
    Edit #1: I had sent my email to two different addresses, as they had separate ones listed. The one who did reply was a remote volunteer who was not at the shelter, but she just got back to me telling me she even went so far as to call an hour after they opened to see if they still had her for me, and they did. I must have missed her by not even an hour.
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 19
    Edit/Response 03/20/24: Thank you everyone for all your kindness, uplifting words, stories, and understanding. Posting here has helped me a lot more than I expected when first writing everything out. It has been very comforting and grounding. Though
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 20
    I'm still feeling a sense of grief, I'm adopting a better outlook thanks to your words. I also know now to never hesitate on placing down my deposit on a cat I connect with. I'm so grateful for every comment each of you have left; I have read each and every one of them (and will continue to)!
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 21
    Final Edit: While the feelings I experienced around the time of this post were very overwhelming and genuine, I am so very happy to say that I found my true "soul kitty" not all too long after. She is the best
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 22
    little companion, I love her so much. I can admit I sometimes wonder how the cat in this post is doing or how she would get along with the one I took home, but I do believe that everything happens for a reason. I wonder if me going
    via Wise_Safe717
  • 23
    through the grief of this post is what allowed me to act quickly and decisively when I met my girl. I'm grateful for it, because I wouldn't trade her for the world!! So it turns out that this has a happy ending :) ♡
    via Wise_Safe717

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like bring forever bonding cat shelter cat adoption heartbroken soulmates reddit story emails human cat story phone calls home
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