Cats Chef
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In 2021, Rachael Rae Robertson welcomed three newborn kittens into her home—just days old, unable to eat or take care of themselves. She named them “The Beans”: Garbanzo, Pinto, and Fava. Among the three, Garbanzo stood out as especially sweet and affectionate—but Rachael’s house was already full (three dogs and three cats of her own), so she knew she couldn’t keep her forever.
Still, she poured enormous love into caring for her: bottle feeding every two hours, grooming, helping with bathroom needs, and making sure she stayed warm.
Rachael fostered Garbanzo up until mid-July of that year, when she found what seemed to be a great home for her. The adopter appeared caring and stayed in touch for a while, sending photos of happy moments and telling Rachael how special having Garbanzo had been. Rachael left the door open for the adopter to return Garbanzo if things didn’t work out—but believed she had done her part and trusted things were good.
A Call from the Shelter, a Heartbreak Recalled, and a Road to Healing
Fast forward four years. In January, Rachael received a call that changed everything: Garbanzo, the kitten she had fostered as a newborn, had been dropped off at a local shelter as a stray. The shelter described her well enough that Rachael knew immediately it was Garbanzo—after all, she had kept the microchip in her own name “just to be safe.”
At first, Rachael believed the situation was a tragic accident—maybe the adopter hadn’t meant for Garbanzo to be lost. She reached out, left voicemails, tried to reconnect. But she was blocked. No explanations. Then she realized: this was no mishap. It was abandonment. Garbanzo was dumped.
Seeing Garbanzo at the shelter was a deeply painful moment for Rachael; the emotional toll was heavy. “That broken feeling lingered with me for quite a while,” she says in the interview.
Since then, Rachael has taken Garbanzo back into her home, documenting a slow but real recovery. Garbanzo is nervous, understandably so—hissing, keeping others at arm’s length, tentative with anyone who isn’t Rachael. But she’s also showing signs of trust again: eating normally, receiving veterinary care, responding to affection, even living more comfortably with her old foster mom’s other pets.
Videos of Garbanzo’s journey back to safety have struck a chord online. Rachael’s TikTok recounting of the story went viral—nearly five million views and more than half a million likes. Many viewers expressed shock, anger, and sadness at what happened to Garbanzo, but also hope and admiration for her recovery. What started as a story of loss turned into one of love, patience, and community support.
Rachael has been diplomatic in her public messages—focused less on blame and more on helping Garbanzo heal. She reached out to Garbanzo’s former owner to piece together Garbanzo’s recent history. She learned of abuse by a prior roommate, behavioral issues, bloody stool, lack of grooming—symptoms of stress and trauma.
Over more than 40 days back under Rachael’s care, Garbanzo’s progress has been promising: shedding some of her fear, lowering her guard, allowing a slow build of trust. Rachael emphasizes letting Garbanzo heal “at whatever pace she sets.”
While there has been talk from many people of permanently adopting her, Rachael stresses that Garbanzo would do best as the only animal in a new home, with someone prepared for her special needs.
Together with followers, Rachael has turned this into a broader message: fostering matters, microchipping matters, love matters. Garbanzo’s story is being used to teach others how to read cat behavior, how to notice signs of trauma, and how to provide safe spaces. And for Rachael, this community has become part of the healing—both for herself and for Garbanzo.
Garbanzo’s journey—from a 3-day-old foster kitten to being abandoned, then found again, then slowly rebuilding trust—reminds us of the complexity of pet foster and adoption, of how love doesn’t always follow simple paths, and how sometimes the real work isn’t just in saving a life—it’s in helping that life find comfort and safety again.
If you’re considering fostering or adopting, Garbanzo’s story urges one thing: patience, compassion, and understanding go a long way. Even when heartbreak happens, healing can follow.