Two senior cats have started over their lives at Macon County Animal Services, a rescue shelter in North Carolina.
A tear-jerking social-media video of when the elderly felines were surrendered, scared and confused, to the animal shelter in Franklin led to international interest in the pets and their swift adoption. The clip was shared to TikTok on March 28 by a volunteer from Pawsitive Shelter Volunteers (@pawsitivevolunteers).
The footage shows the two senior cats as their journey at the shelter begins—an all-too-common scenario for pets whose owners can no longer care for them, or who have left them behind to move forward with their own lives. Viewers watched as the pets were filmed cowering under chairs or hiding away in cat beds, a common sign of anxiety and fear in the feline world.
The 4.2 million and counting views that the TikTok post generated has led to the cats both being adopted in a matter of days. "One of our volunteers, who is also the office manager at the shelter, created the video. Her name is Izabel Evans," Stefanie Curland, another helper at Pawsitive Shelter Volunteers, told Newsweek.
"She had no idea that the video would generate such a high degree of interest. Of course, she is delighted it had such an impact and has resulted in these two cats now finding loving homes.
"The two cats in the video were surrendered by their aging owner who could no longer care for them. It is a very traumatic event for cats and dogs to be abandoned by the owners they love so much, but sadly, sometimes it is unavoidable," Curland added.
This decision, while painful, is often in the best interest of the animals, ensuring they receive the care and attention they need in their absence. Each year, approximately 3.4 million cats enter animal shelters across the U.S., according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Pawsitive Shelter Volunteers helps some of those, by supporting and enhancing the lives of the domestic animals awaiting adoption at the Macon County shelter in Franklin.
"The funds we raise help pay for spaying and neutering, veterinary care, food, treats, toys and leashes," Curland said.
She added: "We are an all-volunteer nonprofit, so all our donations go toward the care of the shelter animals. We frequently hold adoption events so that the shelter animals can get additional exposure in the community in hopes of finding forever homes."
Trauma from such transitions is real, as animals develop strong bonds with their caregivers. The shelter environment, while supportive, is a stark contrast to a loving home setting.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek Life and Trends Reporter based in London, United Kingdom.
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