Pawrent adopts grumpy shelter cat, Mr. Pickles, who took 8 years to trust her - until this ‘not a lap cat’ finally curled up and purred in her arms: ‘I didn’t move. I barely breathed’

Author image for Blake Seidel
Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Aug 5, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

We always get our cats in twos because we really love chatty, dependent cats, and you can never really be too sure about their true purrsonalities until they've lived in your (their) house for a couple of months. 

 

So, if you adopt two at once, you increase the purrcentage of getting a truly cuddly cat, which makes having the aloof cat more tolerable. Don't get us wrong, we love all of our cats no matter how much physical affection they like, but we can't deny that our kitty cuddles aren't the best part of our day.

But, never say never! There are heartwarming awwpportunities around every corner, and sometimes they might even happen to you. One pawrent adopted a grumpy shelter cat named 'Mr. Pickles', who needed to be loved from a distance. She gave him his space and was purrfectly patient with him. Then, 8 years later, he crawled up onto her lap, and she started crying. Maybe he finally deemed her worthy, or he's just become a softie in his old age. Either way, it brought tears to our eyes.

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  • 01

    My grumpy old man finally asked for cuddles… after 8 years

    'We sat there for nearly an hour, him purring softly like a little lawnmower, and me trying not to cry'
    via SeventyFour

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

  • 02
    I adopted Mr. Pickles when he was already 6 years old. His shelter file literally said NOT A LAP CAT. For the past 8 years, he's lived like a little old man with a routine: grumble, nap, judge me from across the room, and occasionally smack a sock for no reason
    via Ok_Maybe8061
  • 03
    I've always respected his space. No forced cuddles, no picking him up, just lots of quiet companionship
    via Ok_Maybe8061

  • One of our cats now isn't “grumpy”, but she likes her space. She prefers to be in a different room and come and check on us rather than be next to us on the couch. We think she just has a hard time settling down when there are others in the space. That's okay, we respect her boundaries, even though we would love to smother her with love all the time.

  • 04
    But last night, for the first time ever, he jumped onto the couch while I was reading, walked across my lap, turned around a few times... and curled up right on me
    via Ok_Maybe8061
  • 05
    I didn't move. I barely breathed. We sat there for nearly an hour, him purring softly like a little. lawnmower, and me trying not to cry
    via Ok_Maybe8061
  • 06
    I don't know what changed. Maybe he's mellowing with age, or maybe he finally decided I was worthy. Either way, I'm honored
    via Ok_Maybe8061

  • It really does make it feel special in those rare times that they do choose to cuddle with you. Maybe once or twice a year our cat will be with us while we're relaxing on the couch, and we can give her some soft pets. She does accept love when we come home from work and when we wake up, though. We cherish those meowments every day.

  • 07
    Have any of your anti cuddle cats surprised you like this?
    via Ok_Maybe8061
  • 08
    green_eyed_cat
    via green_eyed_cat
  • 09
    This is tidbit she's very anxious but every now and then will curl up on your lap for a minute or two before she's overwhelmed. It's been really fun watching her come out of her shell and learn her cues for wanting attention at first they were very quiet but now she has no issue yelling at the top of her lungs if she wants something
    via green_eyed_cat
  • 10
    BigEvilDoer I brought in a semi feral almost 2 years ago. Despite love and playtime and all the good stuff, she wanted nothing to do with me unless it was suppertime.
    via BigEvilDoer
  • 11
    For the first time in those two years, she allowed me to scratch behind her ears for about 10 seconds a month ago. This has happened a few more times since then, but this morning was the first time she allowed me to pet her completely for about a minute. From head, all the way down her back.
    via BigEvilDoer
  • 12
    TrickyRickyBlue Pictures or it didn't happen. Also pictures even if he isn't doing it again I just want to see your cat
    via TrickyRickyBlue
  • 13
    de d _ ringer Not me, but my boyfriend has been feeding a feral cat in our neighborhood for a year. He refuses to have anything to do with me, but now shelters in our basement when the weather is bad. Basement doubles as boyfriend's studio so they spend a lot of parallel time together, with the feral guy keeping a good distance.
    via de*d _ ringer
  • 14
    He was down there the other night editing something and I got a surprise text with a picture of the feral guy just straight up in boyfriend's lap snuggling. Idk what changed or if he finally just decided they're properly friends now.
    via de*d _ ringer
  • 15
    reader270 I adopted a stray kitten who was really grumpy and she hated me so much for so long. She would tolerate the occasional pat but that would be it. During when she was about 9 years old, she finally sat on my lap when I was on the sofa. She was
    via reader270
  • 16
    probably confused about why I was always in the house and decided she'd be more friendly. I did cry when she sat on me. She was a good girl and o miss her.
    via reader270
  • 17
    Cheezburger Image 10537840384
    via reader270
  • 18
    Dramat... cuuuuute :) our little Vénus arrived at our home (we were fostering at the time) very pregnant, and had 4 babies. She was a very anxious and young cat who had been found on the streets (but was given a name somehow, we didnt name her like that). She would accept that our feet touch her a bit, but refused our hands.
    via Dramatic_Water_5364
  • 19
    After a year at our home, all her younglings had been adopted, as I was taking a nap on the couch, out of nowhere she climbed onto me, and rolled in a cute little ball on my chest, her face almost touching mine. She just purred on top of me for an hour.
    via Dramatic_Water_5364
  • 20
    My toughts were, "alright now we have to adopt her" hahaha. And now she looooves to cuddle hahaha
    via Dramatic_Water_5364
  • 21
    sarcasmismygame YAASS! I am so happy your old man Pickles finally decided to do this. We rescued a cat who had two litters but was still under a year old herself. She was NOT cuddly and while she enjoyed pets from time to time she was
    via sarcasmismygame
  • 22
    not a cuddly cat at all. We adopted out all of her second litter and kept her, but we counted on her being aloof. After about a month of no kittens she suddenly started playing. Then one night she woke us up at 3:00 am purring and biscuiting loudly and DEMANDING pets and belly rubs stat!
    via sarcasmismygame
  • 23
    Since then she loves the belly rubs, pets and is very social. She doesn't really mind being picked up and she won't cuddle on our laps yet but she's miles from being the aloof princess she was when we first brought her in. Your
    via sarcasmismygame
  • 24
    kitty has decided they love you and it's okay to show it. Cats do things on their own timeline, not ours. Anyways congrats and cat tax please! Here's my kitty Mrs. Princess Mononoke Cat.
    via sarcasmismygame
  • 25
    O
    via sarcasmismygame
  • 26
    senor_skuzzbukkit There is one place in my entire home that my cat will be voluntarily cuddled. It is when I lean on the divider between two rooms in my house. (It's like a weird counter/shelf thing I don't know I didn't build it) but when I'm
    via senor_skuzzbukkit
  • 27
    there and talking to my wife or whatever, she runs up and crawls into my arms and sticks her head out like that. She will stay there as long as I am there, and screams when I leave. Other than that she will accept head scritches but nothing more.
    via senor_skuzzbukkit
  • 28
    pril 2007 S
    via senor_skuzzbukkit
  • 29
    loltygs Orange My older cat was like this for a while. I got her about three years ago. She hated being held and would run away if you tried to hold her. Now, she has a special bedtime routine that includes walking up to me, making biscuits for 10 min and then cuddling next to my chest and falling asleep. She even insists on getting under the covers and using my pillow.
    via loltygs

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rescue cat grumpy cats adoption adopted cat parents pawrents cuddling Cats animals
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