'We started feeding him and started to get him to trust us': After disappearing for months, a starving community cat returns for help and chooses the family who feeds him as his forever home

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Sarah Brown • Writer and Editor
Nov 26, 2025 7:00 PM EST

Dwayne didn't arrive all at once. He became part of the neighborhood before he became part of a family. When he first showed up in March 2023, everyone assumed he belonged to someone else. He had a distinctive chocolate look, was a healthy size, and had the confidence of a cat who seemed to know where dinner was coming from. Neighbors kept asking who owned him, but no one ever claimed him. Still, he always looked fed, so it was easy to believe he had a home somewhere.

Then everything changed. He disappeared for months and returned at the end of the summer looking thin and standing at the window beside one of the family's cats as if asking for help. From that moment on, he stayed close, slowly learned to trust, and finally started coming inside. Once he realized this house was safe, the family had him scanned, tagged, neutered, and chipped… only to confirm what they already suspected. No one was coming for Dwayne.

Now he's not just visiting. He's a settled, pampered, oversized sweetheart who finally has a home of his own. And he looks like he was meant to be there all along.

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    'He was even more comfortable with us'
    via Kaan Keskin from Pexels / Canva

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

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    This is Dwayne, he first appeared in March 2023. We didnt know at the time that he didnt have a home, we just assumed based on his breed and unusual colour, that maybe someone new had moved into the area. He always
    via ianmorris1981
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    seemed well fed and then we started noticing on a local Facebook group several neighbours asking who owned him. No-one ever claimed him but maybe they weren't on Facebook or didnt use social
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    Cheezburger Image 10580160768
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    media. My guess is that he a had a few people feeding him. In the summer of 2024 we didnt see him at all, and then one day towards the end of August he turned up with one of our cats by our back window looking really
    via ianmorris1981
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    skinny. He was always a fairly big lad and it was clear he hadn't eaten properly in a long time. We started feeding him and started to get him to trust us. Several months later when he was
    via ianmorris1981
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    comfortable coming into our place, we were able to get someone to come over to scan him and see if he was chipped. Turns out he wasnt. When he was even more comfortable with us,
    via ianmorris1981
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    and practically living with us, I got a collar and a tag with my number on it to see once and for all if he really did have an owner. Never got a call from anyone claiming him. So we took him to
    via ianmorris1981
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    the vets, got him neutered and got him chipped as well at the same time. He's a big ol' lump, incredibly friendly and very settled in to domestic life.
    via ianmorris1981
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    Cheezburger Image 10580161280
    via ianmorris1981
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    AltruisticExit2366 Oh he's so unusual looking!! I've never seen a brown cat. He looks so handsome and formidable! Looks like a tough guy but is made of gooey chocolate on the inside. I'm So glad you were able to give him a home.
    via AltruisticExit2366
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    lewdchan-Owo Dwayne is a very handsome and chonky gentleman!! Thank you for taking him in and loving him!!
    via lewdchan-Owo
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    Only_Possible_23... He's a very handsome boy. I'm glad he found a good home with you.
    via Only_Possible_2308
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    mesablueforest Ma'am/sir that's a bear. You now have a small bear living in your house, you lucky person!
    via mesablueforest

  • Looking exactly like a little chocolate teddy bear with whiskers, he’s too cute for words. You just want to scoop him up, squish his cheeks, and never let that fluffy sweetness go. 

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    LeFaire87 A CHOCOLATE floof is just so interesting and beautiful
    via LeFaire87
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    NineteenNinetyEx I'm pretty sure Dwayne is a bear.
    via NineteenNinetyEx
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    HelpyHelperer Chonkolate
    via HelpyHelperer
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    LuvFuzzball I've never seen a chocolate colored cat before, this guy is beautiful!
    via LuvFuzzball

  • This chocolate floof is looking rare and ridiculously cute, like a limited-edition cat you only find once in a lifetime. Sweet, soft, and totally adorable. 

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    All_is_a_conspiracy Wow what an amazing story and what a glamorous kitty!!!!!
    via All_is_a_conspiracy
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    LindaBitz Chocolate cats are rare! What a handsome boy. Thanks for saving Dwayne. Great day for you both!
    via LindaBitz
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    RoguePlanet2 British? Chocolate? You could've named him Cadbury! Thanks for giving Dwayne a home
    via RoguePlanet2

  • Cadbury, Hershey, Snickers… the chocolate-themed names are endless! With a coat this rich and sweet, he could easily be named after half the candy aisle. Total dessert energy.

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    ultraplasm Oh my gosh! What a ridiculously handsome cat! How the heck can anyone ever abandon a pet? Well, regardless...he's obviously better off now with you. You guys were destined for each other!
    via ultraplasm
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    knittedmerkin Such a handsome and distinguished gentleman. Boop that tiny nose for me!
    via knittedmerkin

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adoption pets feline pawrents chocolate Cat distribution system Cats rescue
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