Since cat fostering is my part-time job, I can say that in my humble, but not-so-short experience, I have seen many different cats with many different facial expressions.
Some look like they are extremely annoyed by everything and everyone, some like they are surprised all the time, and others like they are the happiest felines in the world. But never in my life have I seen such a sad and depressed kitty like this one.
This is a story about the cat Fishtopher – the sad feline that resided at the Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in New Jersey and struggled to find his forever home.
However, thanks to the power of the Internet and the goodness in the people, someone decided it was finally time to put a smile on that unhappy little face.
Meet Fishtopher and his new owners
Fishtopher conquered the Interned once people started sharing and re-tweeting his Petfinder profile. He won the hearts of many people simply by being himself – sad and desperate for love and affection.
His Petfinder profile described him as a Domestic short hair and Bengal mix feline. His bio stated how he is extremely affectionate, friendly, gentle, calm, and a true couch potato.
Fishtopher is said to be a five-year-old male cat who was found as a stray and was probably missing his family very much. He is a bit on the chunkier side, but full of love and kindness towards both people and other pets. Although a bit timid at first, he is said to be a truly sweet and easy-going boy.
His Internet popularity commenced when a Twitter user Molly Clarke shared a screenshot of his Petfinder profile. Her tweet took the Internet by storm and gained 168,000 likes and over 21,000 retweets in a matter of days.
Many people tuned in, commenting on how adorable Fishtopher is and sharing their brave rescue stories and pictures of their furry pets, aiming to encourage someone to adopt this beautiful and sad kitty.
Among many people who thought about adopting Fishtopher was a 22-year-old woman named Laura Folts from Baltimore, Maryland. Laura mentioned how she and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Tanner Callahan, always talked about getting a pet to care for.
She said how she had sent him the tweet with Fishtopher’s story and hadn’t thought much of it. She thought it was just going to be something they will jokingly talk about over dinner.
Little did she know that her partner submitted their application and – to his own surprise, too – was soon contacted by the shelter.
The couple then got into their car and drove to New Jersey all the way from Baltimore. They arrived at the Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center one hour before it opened.
They thought about how many people would want to see Fishtopher and adopt him, so they decided to wait outside for the center to open, so they could be the first in line to meet him.
And they were right! The majority of the people that visited that day came to see Fishtopher.
They all got a chance to pet him, but Laura and Tanner were the lucky ones who got the chance to take him home, although there were hundreds of inquiries about him, from California all the way to the United Arab Emirates.
How did Fishtopher adjust to his new place?
Laura and Tanner said how the journey back home went on was just fine. Apart from a quick stop to get some cat food, the car ride was pretty smooth.
As soon as they got home, Fishtopher started to sniff out his new place. He found several good hiding spots for himself, where he resided for a couple of days until he relaxed a bit and became less shy.
His owners said that Fishtopher, unfortunately, soon tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a common feline disease that affects somewhere between 2.5% to 5% of otherwise healthy kitties in America.
However, despite his little health obstacle, Fishtopher is said to be a very loving and affectionate tomcat.
Because of other people’s requests to find out how Fishtopher is adjusting to his new home, Laura started sharing his pictures and videos on her Twitter page but soon decided it was best to open his own Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Both of these accounts have above 13,000 followers, many of whom have said that Fishtopher looks much happier than before.
Laura said how heartwarming it is to hear all these kind words people send her every day. She even mentioned how many of them wanted to send her and her partner some money to help buy Fishtopher’s food and toys, which Laura gratefully declined.
She said how she wants them to use that money to help other shelter kitties who still haven’t found a home for themselves.
Laura said how she hopes their story will be an inspiration and encouragement for others to go to the nearest shelter and put a smile on another sad feline, just like they did with Fishtopher.
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