'Nobody wanted her': Patient pawrent adopts the scaredy cat the shelter advised against, and after years of building trust, they fall asleep cuddling every night

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Mar 11, 2026 12:00 PM EDT

Some cats take longer to open up than others, and that's purrfectly okay. Cats need to move at their own pace.

Cats are very sensitive to changes in their environment, even if its bringing them to a home full of love and safety. To them, it's a new territory with new people and pawssible new dangers around every corner. This is why most cats after adoption will run and hide for a few days. It's purrfectly natural. They're sussing out their new space, trying to understand the rhythm, where is safe and where is scary, and adjusting to life around new hoomans. They will eventually learn to trust you and their new home, but you have to give them the time they need to properly decompress and open up.

Some cats are better than others, and some cats are extremely difficult cases, like our void below. The shelter warned her new pawrent that she was extremely anxious (relatable), the only way the cat could be touched was if she was wrapped in a purrito, for everyone's safety. She adopted her anyway because if she didn't, who would?

It took a lot of time, and a lot of patience. A lot of hunger strikes, until one day, the scaredy cat decided to test the waters and take some food from her hands. Even after that improvement, every noise had her running back to her hiding spot, and yet, the pawrent purrsisted. Now, the cat confidently walks around her house, begs for food, and falls asleep on her chest every night. 

They say good things come to those who wait, and that's especially true with cats. Some felines need a lot of time to open their hearts, but once they do, you'll never know a love more purrre and heartwarming.

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    Two years ago I adopted my lil void from the shelter. Apparently nobody wanted her because she came with a lot of baggage. She was extremely scared, anxious, and had a bit of a temper. I couldn't hold her or hug her at all, the only way was by wrapping her in a towel or
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    she'd panic. The shelter advised me to keep her in a dog kennel so she could get used to the scent of my home. But pretty quickly I realized that wasn't going to work for her. So I let her choose her own hiding spot instead and just gave her space.
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  • Oh dear, she does look spicy. Cats are very clear about when they want you in their space, and when they don't. A classic “do not approach” sign from cats is airplane ears, when they tuck their ears backwards. It's a sign of discomfort or stress, and most cats don't like being touched when they're stressed. Funnily enough, most hoomans don't either.

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    After a few days hunger got the better of her and she started taking food from my hand. That was the start of things slowly changing. For a long time she was still very skittish. Any noise outside would send her running
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    back to her hiding spot. Fast forward to today: she begs my toddler for scraps, walks around the house confidently, and falls asleep on my chest every night. No hiding spot needed, still danger paws tho.
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    Turbulent-Coat-5870 You are doing an amazing job with that sweetie
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    Glad-Fuel2093 Aww, what a beauty! Mine was the same for weeks. Completely traumatized from whatever her earlier life was. She slowly, over the course of a year or so, evolved into the most demure, graceful, dignified queen of all she surveys that one could ever believe!
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    Your's looks to be right on track for the same. Grats to both of you!
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  • Now look at her! Begging for food, being a derp the way most black cats are, it looks like she's fully adjusted to living her cushy, house cat life. It may have taken longer than most, but she got there in the end, and that's all that matters.

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    trolling4tea Picture 6 made me SOB. That's so cute. I too have an extremely skittish void but she is my soul cat. I love her and she is the sweetest cat I've ever met. Always take a chance on the ones someone deems "unhomeable". They are always the biggest love bugs for their person.
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    Hwy_Witch After dragging home several ferals, barn cats, and random strays, I'm pretty firmly of the belief that no cat is unsaveable. Good job rescuing this one and showing her what safe and loved is.
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    alohell From "I iz in danger" to "I iz bebeh".
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    BunttyBrowneye My cat Birdie was the same! She definitely has PTSD from an a sive owner who hoarded and had 28 cats who they left in cages next to the highway. She was only 1 year old when we adopted her. She still gets
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    anxious when anybody reaches for her with two hands. She has trauma from a man, so she warmed up to my wife much quicker than me - but now, 5 years later, I can pick her up for a short duration, and she sits between us on the couch.
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    Alarming-Leek-402 Pic #5 gave me cute aggression. I wanted to scoop her up and snuggle her so hard, I had to find my Walter, but he was asleep so had to calm down like the literal adult that I am
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    Weird_Fiches So sweet. My void is the biggest lover boy. I have another cat that is startled by everything. We've had her coming up on two years now. She now allows pets. It's a process. I'm good with continuing to earn her trust if it takes forever.
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    Leibersol This is beautiful. I also have an anxious void and it took me years to gain her trust. Her mom had kittens under my porch and I knew I couldn't rehome her, so I just sat near her when she was out until she learned I was kind of not that bad. She still won't let me hold her, but she will climb on me if I am under blankets and she can't see my big scary legs. She hates legs.
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    dryasyoung Love changed and transformed her
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adoption cat adoption cat rescue pawrents cuddling trust animal shelter Cats animals
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