An expert in hopeless cat cases takes on a 12-year-old stray with a limp and a loud hiss, proving that no cat is too old for a second chance: ‘Welcome home Rufs.’

Author image for Ayala Sorotsky
Ayala Sorotsky • Writer and Editor
Apr 11, 2026 10:15 AM EDT

All cats deserve a chance. It doesn't matter if they're labeled "aggressive" (wrongfully, mostly), if they're a senior cat living on the streets, or if they're none of the above. But for this one cat, Rufs, both conditions are true. Most people would hear a hiss or two, and immediately render him unadopablt. And having years of street survival behind a cat makes them undesirable for people… and we don't get it. We stand by the first statement we made here - all cats deserve a chance. Whether it's first, second, or seventh, ot doesn't matter. Giving a cat in need a home makes you the best person in our eyes.

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  • 01
    Welcome home Rufs (Days 1-4 recap)
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 02
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    via ArsonFrog143

  • This picture collage of the cat already makes our hearts melt. It's true that he had a very tough time behind him, but seeing him sleep so comfortably in some of these pictures makes us believe he's going to have a bright future ahead . You see, when a cat is able to sleep next to a human, it means they trust them. And if he can trust the person who cares for him now, we know he's in good hands.

  • 03
    Context: I rehabilitate "difficult" cats for a local rescue and get them adoptable-often ferals. Gonna re-use my post from the feral cat sub but adding some info:
    via ArsonFrog143

  • We can't even begin to express how much we appreciate cat shelter volunteers. They're doing the work some of us deem way too sad to do. The work that might consume so much of their time and energy, but still, they do it. Taking care of shelter and local rescue cats is a meowgnificent thing a cat lover can do - it's actually a very happy thing to help cats in need find their forever homes. Even if it's not with us.

    And this one woman here? She's no less of an expert, especially dealing with a cat like this one fluffball in this story. Rufs is a little… rough, as his name suggests (sort of), but this volunteer has hands of gold, a heart of light, and the knowledge and experience of a wise old Tibetan monk. We seriously learned so much reading her insights down below.

  • 04
    This is Rufs, age 8-12 ish. He's newly tripod with arthritis in the remaining back leg and is missing 8 teeth. He came to me bc he was still feral, hiding and hissing at everything after 3 months at the short-term placement, tho I don't blame him considering all he's been through.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 05
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    via ArsonFrog143
  • 06
    My old man Rufs arrived on Sunday, and it's been an eventful few days. When he got here he was growling and hissing a lot like I'd been told he would, but it didn't read as aggression to me, more so an automatic reaction to confusion and fear.
    via ArsonFrog143
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  • 08
    Don't get me wrong, even "aggressive" cats often act out due to fear, and they need just as much understanding and compassion, but let's say there are different subcategories.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 09
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  • 10
    My gut told me that Rufs wanted affection deep down but he's so used to having to defend himself to survive that he doesn't know what else to do when faced with this new situation.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 11
    Day 1 I need to assess their mental state and boundaries (like how they react to touch, things coming near them, whether they're food motivated etc) and he didn't love that but he was a champ □ Pic 6 is him telling me to off but switching up real fast when he notices the treat ②
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 12
    Vitakraft quia nack Которак +Cat Grass
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  • 14
    When domesticating ferals, I work a lot with body language communication (think Natural Horsemanship but the cat version) and he's actually been very perceptive and caught on quickly that I'm letting him set the rules.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 15
    The goal this early on is to make the cat understand that they don't NEED to act defensively (hiss, growl, hit etc) because they will be understood anyway. When the cat tenses up, I immediately back off. Sometimes it's half a step and mostly symbolic; I make a show of it, maybe lower my head etc.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 16
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  • 17
    Anyway, after working with him for 3,5 days, here are some of his achievements:
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 18
    • Eats all his food • Likes head pets with the stick (though still cautious) Very treat motivated (yay) Has peed and pooped in the box with no issues, even when I put the top on.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 19
    • Has explored a few different hideouts and settled on his favourite. • Now slow blinks + closes his eyes near me
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 20
    • Day 3 he finally flopped on his side and fell asleep with me ~1m away. I stayed in his "tent" just reading for a bit, and during that time he changed his position twice, getting more and more relaxed.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 21
    • Now eats his wet food when I'm next to him, and I can usually put the bowl in for him without any hissing. I don't get the sense that he's afraid of hands in particular. • As I'm writing this, he just fully got up and turned around to sleep with his back toward me
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 22
    A few observations: I'm wondering whether he's a little hard of hearing. It's a bit difficult to wake him up sometimes and he seems pretty unbothered by noise in general (compared to all previous fosters). Which has its perks though, as I've been able to use the kitchen a bit.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 23
    A really sweet habit of his is that he adjusts his position whenever I adjust mine. I've noticed this in other cats too (my take is that they think "oh the flock looks relaxed, it's probably safe to make noise/move) but with him it's really consistent + started really early.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 24
    Another adorable quirk is that his tongue keeps getting stuck outside his mouth At first I wondered whether it's because he kinda freezes up to assess the situation so his tongue freezes too, but I'm starting to think he just kinda forgets to pull it in
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 25
    TLDR: He hisses and growls but doesn't feel aggressive, just scared. The hissing is a little better. He eats, goes to the box and has found a favourite hideout. We are communicating through body language and he's really good at picking up on what I'm trying to say,
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 26
    which has helped a lot. He now eats with me there, and lets me pet him with the stick (though still cautious). Yesterday he flopped and fell asleep for like an hour when I was there □ might have bad hearing? I'm not sure.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 27
    yarnlord69 Thank you for sharing this, OP! It was a great read and just what I needed to warm my bitter heart after my 6th night in a row staying up until 3am and later to try to catch a limping feral here. The process of trying to catch him is breaking my mind slightly
    via yarnlord69
  • 28
    but reading stories like this of Rufs reminds me that it will all be worth it in the end. I can't wait to witness Rico's (my limpy feral boy) milestones just like Rufs. You also seem very experienced with this and Rico will be the most feral kitty I've tried to rehabilitate thus far! I hope you keep sharing his story and that of your future fosters, as well as ANY (seriously, any) tips and tricks you may have. You're doing amazing work
    via yarnlord69
  • 29
    Arson Frog 143 OP Thank you for your kind words □ ugh, I can only imagine the frustration! I have the luxury of working with a great rescue + one of their very seasoned volunteers and they do all the trapping, then contact me when they have a cat that needs more specialised care to become adoptable.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 30
    (Well, sometimes I'm notified beforehand if they have one that's very hard to catch they have wildlife cameras by the traps so I usually get a grainy photo of the little menace hehe.)
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 31
    I will try to post here too! I do document all my foster cats' journeys on my IG. It's private but I can dm you the @ if you'd like to follow along, see more videos etc ③I'm here to help! I know how challenging it can be, but I promise you there's hope for even the most difficult ferals
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 32
    yarnlord69 Sounds like you've got a great team on your side! love hearing about so many people. working together to help the animals. I live in a town that doesn't even have animal control of any kind and the one small shelter only accepts dogs, and oh btw it's illegal for shelters in other counties here to accept out of county animals so basically the cats here are all screwed without kind samaritans willing to help. I'd love to follow you on ig! feel free to dm う
    via yarnlord69
  • 33
    Icy_Yesterday8265 Woohoo Rufs!! He sure does have a lot of stories to tell. His cute little tattered ear □. Thank you for all that you do.
    via Icy_Yesterday8265
  • 34
    ArsonFrog 143 OP Ikr it really hit me right in the feels the forest time I noticed his ear.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 35
    I also just found out he might've been limping for around SIX MONTHS before anyone called it in ② He must've experienced so much pain in his life
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 36
    Icy_Yesterday8265 Six months! Wow. Youre an angel for being so patient and willing to work with cats like him. Changing his life for the better!
    via Icy_Yesterday8265
  • 37
    Arson Frog 143 OP They honestly help my mental health just as much as I help them □□ I just spent a few months foster- less bc we weren't sure whether the most recent adoptee would need to come back (thankfully he bonded with his new mama). It was miserable not having a little creature in my house!!
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 38
    Icy Yesterday8265 I don't know how you do it! Ive socialized 5 kittens (theyre a piece of cake) and 3 adults so far and I always hit a breaking point mentally. Breaking their nocturnal instincts for a week or two always drains me. The running around like maniacs, the meowing, and the mess from kittens was so draining to me. After that hump though its so rewarding. Youre truly amazing for being willing to go through it so many times! We need more people like you.
    via Icy_Yesterday8265
  • 39
    Arson Frog 143 OP I find that with most cats I'll get to a "we're stuck at this stage and never getting past it” kind of place at some point-and it always does get better. I just have to feel hopeless for a bit first②
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 40
    The times I've had cats keep me up at night it's been bc they're anxious and crying/yelling. That part is challenging and always breaks my heart It's so frustrating to not be able to explain to them what's going on and that they're gonna be ok
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 41
    I always keep my new cats in the kitchen for the first month or so (depending on their development). So they're not really running around at night in a way that bothers me.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 42
    They do often go through a period of frequent zoomies once they figure out what toys are and get to have fun I think my brain gets used to the nighttime noise somehow? As long as it's not yelling or straight up stepping on me.
    via ArsonFrog143
  • 43
    Icy_Yesterday8265 It sounds like you have an amazing method. Mine have all been good with yowling to want to go back outside. That hasnt been a big issue for me. Its when they finally are comfortable enough to start playing at night and once they find their voice that is the most draining. I
    via Icy_Yesterday8265
  • 44
    get so happy for them but then lack of sleep definitely causes me to have some frustration tears every time. Its so conflicting because you're so happy they are adjusting and doing well but at the same time you cant sleep
    via Icy_Yesterday8265
  • 45
    I look forward to seeing more updates on Rufs and I hope he is a good boy for you
    via Icy_Yesterday8265

  • We do, too! We promise to keep an eye on Rufs' advancement from a tough street cat to a fluffy feline king, ruling his forever home as his domestic kingdom. When it happens, we're going to post an update, so we can all celebrate together - the entire online feline family from around the world. Because this is just what we, cat lovers, do - we're happy that a cat in need gets the help they deserve. 

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wholesome cat heartwarming cat adoption adopted cat rescue Cats senior cats stray rescue
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