A senior cat was returned to a shelter just a few days before Christmas, and now she's desperately looking for a forever home where she can spend the remainder of her days without worrying about tomorrow.
In a Facebook post shared on December 17, the Cat Welfare Association explained that the tuxedo cat, Holly, was returned after 10 years because her owner's health declined and he was no longer physically able to meet her needs.
A spokesperson for the shelter, located in Columbus, Ohio, told Newsweek that Holly was initially brought to the shelter in 2014 as a young stray with kittens, and was adopted in 2015 by a single man who was "smitten with her."
"She lived with him until his health began to fail this year and he could no longer care for Holly. She has had extensive dental care since coming back into our care and is a healthy senior cat," the Cat Welfare Association said.
While the shelter is trying its best to make Holly comfortable, she is not having a good time surrounded by other cats, and she desperately needs a new home.
The spokesperson said, "She is intimidated by the other shelter cats and does not want to leave her condo but she does stretch her head out to attract humans walking by. This senior girl deserves more."
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 325 likes and 158 reshares on the platform.
One user, Eileen Enders Laffey, said: "I took in my mom's 15 y/o tuxedo 2 yrs ago when she could no longer keep him at her memory care facility. Charlie will live with us forever. I could never put him out for his sake or my mom's. He is such a sweetie at 17+. Praying for the same for Holly."
Andrea Adoria wrote: "Holly I hope you find your new forever home soon."
Adriann Patterson Brown added: "Aww poor girl if I didn't have 5! I hope someone gives her a loving home she's beautiful."
Of the 6.3 million animals that enter shelters across the country every year, 3.2 million are cats. Of them, only about 2.1 million get adopted by a new owner, 100,000 are returned to their old homes, and around 530,000 are euthanized for lack of space, according to data by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
There are also 30 to 40 million unowned cats roaming the streets of America, per the Humane Society of the United States, estimate that includes friendly strays, feral cats, and all cats that fall in between.
Known as community cats, their survival rate is around 70 percent. Each intact female on the streets produces an estimate of 1.4 litters a year with an average of three kittens per litter. However, only 25 percent of them make it past six months of age.
The percentage of community cats spayed or neutered each year varies by community based on their specific implementation of community cat management strategies.
The shelter said that the ideal family for Holly would be a quiet single person or a quiet mature couple that can provide lots of cuddles and conversation.
"We have over 200 cats and kittens residing in our shelter. Whether someone is ready to commit to adoption or they just want to pet kitties, CWA is a purrfect place to visit."