If only one statement had to be made about owning a cat it would be this one: it’s not an easy task. Taking care of any cat requires a lot of work, energy, time, and above all, love and commitment. It is not just a mere, “I have a pet.” situation, but rather a relationship that can easily reach a family-like level.
Unfortunately, many people do not understand this, and they get cats simply because they can. They believe it will be easy and fun to own a kitty as you can always get rid of her if things don’t go as planned.
Many people never allow themselves to really bond with the cat they adopt. So, in the end, it is extremely easy for them to let her go.
This is exactly what happened to Daphne, a beautiful moggie kitty from Florida. She was adopted on a whip by a young married couple, let’s call them Jack and Gabriela, who wanted to have a sort of occupation, something to take care of and “practice” their parenting skills.
The wife, Gabriela, was the one who initiated the adoption. She desperately wanted to have a cat, so she could, like many other proud cat parents, post an adorable picture on Instagram with the caption, “Cat mom.”
And a bonus thing (the one that brought the most empathetic likes) was the fact that they adopted a shelter cat.
“OMG, Gabriela, you are so brave!” and “Wow, I admire you for adopting a shelter kitty!” Those were the types of comments Gabriela thrived on. She loved the attention she got and the popularity that was only growing.
People who genuinely care for animals know that it’s not good to do something just for the sake of it being trendy. They know that keeping up with certain pet needs can end up being too hard to handle.
For example, I love dogs and I think they are one of the most amazing animals in this world. I love to pet them and play with them, and I always dream of how awesome it would be to own one someday.
However, I am genuinely realistic with myself most of the time. I know that my work schedule would never let me take proper care of a dog. I would never be able to walk him regularly and care for his needs. Also, my laid-back energy would never match his playful spirit.
That’s why I don’t own a dog. I have several cats who love me on their own terms, and who ignore me the majority of the time. And I’m fine with it.
If only Daphne’s previous owner took their time to truly think about owning a cat. Maybe they would soon come to the conclusion that their life could never align with that of a feline, and they would let that idea slide, resulting in Daphne being adopted by a family who actually loves her and wants her.
At first, Daphne had a good time with Jack and Gabriela. The couple didn’t hesitate a second, and they splurged on so many cat-related items. They got her cat trees, cat wheels, cat shelves, and food trays. They cat-proofed their balcony and made a nice bird-watching corner for her.
They bought her delicious cat food, a space shuttle of a litter box, and even a cat water fountain. Daphne truly had it all, and she was living in a feline paradise. What a vast difference from her life in the shelter!
However, she lacked those important things (that are not actually things). She lacked the consistency from her owners, regular playtime, and cuddle sessions. It wasn’t long after adoption that her owners got fed up with her.
But, they couldn’t just return her. They knew it would, in the eyes of Gabriela’s Instagram community, look extremely bad. Thankfully, they did not want to just leave her somewhere. I guess they weren’t that cruel after all.
But one day, everything changed. Jack and Gabriella have found out they will soon become parents, so getting rid of the cat became their number one priority.
She posted several pictures, one being a picture of her ultrasound scan, the other of her, Jack, and Daphne, and the rest of them of their favorite moments with their fluff.
Gabriela wrote about how she has mixed feelings. She felt thrilled because she’d finally become a mother but also devastated because now she had to return Daphne to the shelter. She said that she was afraid her cat might harm her future baby, so it was better to say goodbye to her sooner than later.
And just like that, Daphne ended up back at the shelter. She probably felt confused and sad, and she might have even missed her owners. And she definitely missed the luxurious life she’d been living. Her reality now was a shelter, and she had to get used to that ugly truth.
However, everyone gets their happy ending.
People at the shelter thought Daphne was no longer a good candidate for adoption. She was an older cat of mixed origins, and the majority of folks who came there were for the most part interested in adopting a kitten.
However, luckily for Daphne, her fairy godmother decided to come and knock on her cage.
One beautiful summer day, a woman, let’s call her Alisa, went on her usual afternoon walk after which she decided to stop by the local cat shelter to pet some kitties. Little did she know that she would fall in love with a beauty named Daphne.
It was love at first sight! When Alisa saw Daphne, her heart skipped a beat. She immediately imagined her playing with her other cats back home, and cuddling with her adorable twins, Mathew and Maria.
She spent approximately 10 minutes with her after which she asked if she could take Daphne home.
Long story short, Daphne is now part of a big family of two adults, three cats, and two kids. She loves them all dearly and enjoys spending time with them.
And for the first time ever, she finally feels truly loved by someone!
Owning a cat is not a cute Instagram post. Nor is it the purchase of every single cat item from the store. Owning a cat is actually an intangible connection, a feeling of belonging, loving, and being loved in return. I’m so happy Daphne got a chance to experience it.
Read more: Girlfriend Told Him That They Could Get Back Together If He Gets Rid Of His Cat
