Back in 2020, a 2-year-old cat named Shelly was adopted from NAWS Humane Society. The shelter’s staff and volunteers were overjoyed that the sweet kitty had found a loving forever home.
After Shelly was adopted, the NAWS Humane Society team expected to never see her again. But five years later, Shelly’s family came back to the shelter — to surrender Shelly.
Fran Grzesik
“Unfortunately, due to reasons outside of Shelly’s control, she wound up back at the shelter here with us,” Fran Grzesik, one of NAWS Humane Society’s directors, told The Dodo.
Seeing Shelly again gave everyone at NAWS Humane Society a major case of déjà vu.
“She was returned in the same adoption box she was adopted out in,” Grzesik said.
Fran Grzesik
The first few days Shelly was back at the humane society, she was terrified. Going from her calm home environment into the chaotic shelter completely overwhelmed her.
“She hid behind her litter box and would barely let us touch her,” Grzesik said.
Each time Grzesik tried to pick her up, she would bury her head down into Grzesik’s arms.
“All Shelly wants to do is disappear [and] to go back to her previous life,” Grzesik wrote on TikTok. “A life that was full of love.”
Fran Grzesik
Gradually, though, Shelly began to realize she was safe with Grzesik. She began allowing Grzesik to pet her and even started nuzzling against her hand.
“She is extremely sweet and so loving,” Grzesik said. “Once she trusts you, she truly becomes so attached to you.”
Grzesik worried that the now 7-year-old cat would have trouble getting adopted. But as Shelly started coming out of her shell, people started falling in love with her personality. Soon, she had a long list of people who’d applied to adopt her, which the NAWS Humane Society staff reviewed carefully to find the perfect fit.
Finally, just weeks after arriving at the shelter, Shelly was adopted by a woman named Natalie. Since settling in with Natalie, Shelly has been enjoying getting in lots of cuddles while she goes through treatment for her weepy eye.
Fran Grzesik
Grzesik feels grateful that she was able to help comfort Shelly after her return to the shelter. Thanks to NAWS Humane Society, she’s enjoying decompressing in her forever home.
If you’d like to support NAWS Humane Society, you can make a donation here.
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