It\u2019s always great news when an animal gets adopted from a shelter, but it\u2019s heartbreaking when those adoptions don\u2019t stick. The pets are returned to the shelter, their hopes dashed once again.<\/p>\n
That was the case for one cat, who was so happy to finally get adopted but was returned just four days later. But now, there\u2019s been another twist in her story\u2026
\nRed is a 5-year-old tabby cat who was in the care of Australian Animal Protection Society (AAPS) in Victoria, Australia. According to a Facebook post, she first arrived at the shelter with her mom and siblings, and showed \u201csigns of stress related behaviors.\u201d
\nBut with time, love and training, Red\u2019s demeanor improved during her time in the shelter, and she was placed up for adoption. AAPS looked for a low-stress, adults-only home that would give her the time and patience she needs to adjust.<\/p>\n
However, it seemed like no one was interested in giving Red a home. \u201cDuring her 137 days at our shelter, no one has ever come to visit Red,\u201d the shelter wrote on TikTok last month.
\nIn addition to her emotional needs, staff say her breed and age may have been factors. \u201cAdult cats, especially tabby domestic short hairs, tend to stay in our shelter for long periods of time as people tend to consider them as \u2018non-desirable,\u2019\u201d a shelter spokesperson told Newsweek.
\nAfter more than 140 days in the shelter, Red\u2019s luck seemingly turned around when she was finally adopted out.<\/p>\n
Sadly, however, the situation did not work out, and Red was returned just four days later.
\n\u201cWe [sent] Red off to what we truly believed would be her forever home,\u201d AAPS wrote in a TikTok. \u201c4 days later we got a call that broke our hearts.\u201d
\nRed\u2019s would-be adopters didn\u2019t give her the time she needed to settle in, and the sudden return to the shelter took an emotional toll on the poor cat.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was returned for not settling in fast enough or sitting on her new owners lap,\u201d they wrote. \u201cRed has been so confused and withdrawn since coming back, but we aren\u2019t giving up on her.\u201d
\nThey didn\u2019t give up \u2014 and soon, Red got a second chance at happiness.<\/p>\n
Soon after Red was returned, AAPS shared another update: Red was adopted again, and this time seems much more promisng.<\/p>\n
They described Red\u2019s new parent as \u201can experienced cat owner who is ready to give her all the time and comforts she needs to feel safe.\u201d
\nIt sounds like Red has finally found her true forever home. After 150 days in the shelter and a false start, she definitely deserves it and we hope she is settling in well \u2764\ufe0f<\/p>\n