Adopting an older cat is one of the kindest things a pet parent can do. Getting a cat from a shelter or rescue is already a wonderful thing to do, but with so much demand for kittens and younger cats, giving older cats a second chance is great.
While most adopted cats live out the rest of their days at home with the best cat treats, however, one cat parent returned seven-year-old Art back to the Pasadena Humane Society in California for being “too needy” shortly after they adopted him.
The shelter shared the news on Facebook, urging people to consider giving the “Velcro kitty” a forever home. It noted that his clingy nature and energetic personality made his first adopter a bad match, but that many others would find them a positive, describing Art as a cat who “always wants to be the center of attention, and will show off his perfectly fluffy belly to make sure that happens."
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Fortunately, Art has found a new home – the shelter confirmed to People that he’s got his forever home with an owner who’s a much better fit. The shelter explained that, while his first adopter was experienced with cats, she wanted more of a lap cat. While Art was certainly affectionate, he’d sometimes bite or swat at her while playing.
Because she thought that they may not have been a good fit for each other, she brought him back. There were no hard feelings, however, with the shelter describing it as a “wise decision” – he even caused her to bleed after biting her too hard.
But after the initial post about Art being returned went viral, the shelter confirmed that, happily, he was “quickly adopted by another very experienced cat family” who had experience with more “feisty” felines.
Art was first brought to the Pasadena Humane Society in January, following the Eaton Fire – one of the Californian wildfires that caused so much damage earlier this year.
The shelter said: “We suspected that he was an outdoor community cat, but no one came forward to reclaim him. While he was here, he interacted with our volunteers positively, but would occasionally give indications that he was a little nervous with people.”
While Art now has his loving forever home, there are lots of other cats at the shelter who still need families. Recently, the shelter took in 19 cats who were found in a stolen U-Haul, and they’re expected to be available for adoption in the near future.
Read next: Reasons to adopt a cat and tips for taking care of senior cats
