It’s always heartbreaking when animals are returned to a shelter, but one recent case is especially devastating: a cat was surrendered to a shelter 7 years after he was adopted out.
After losing the only home he’s ever known, this beautiful cat is searching for a new family.
Fig first arrived at the Valley Animal Center in Fresno, California back in 2016 after being rescued as an orphan, according to Newsweek. It didn’t take long for the kitten to be adopted, and it seemed like a happy ending.
But the shelter was stunned when Fig was returned to them — 7 years after he was adopted out.
Fig’s family surrendered him because they were moving, and it was too complicated to take him along. “It is a long, difficult process to move a pet to a different country based on the laws and regulations of the country,” a shelter spokesperson told Newsweek.
Even so, it seems to have taken a toll on poor Fig. Viral videos posted on TikTok show the cat looking sad after being upended from the only home he’s known.
The story broke hearts online. “After 7 years that cat is family,” one comment reads. “I don’t know how someone could do this.”
Fig reportedly celebrated his 8th birthday alone in the shelter, his fate uncertain. Not only did he lose his home, he faced an uphill battle to find a new adopter. “Senior cats struggle to find homes,” a TikTok video reads.
But while senior cats often struggle when left in shelters, Fig has reportedly been taking it all relatively well. “Fig is the ideal senior cat adjustment; he has been very sweet and cooperative the whole time he has been back in our care,” the spokesperson told Newsweek.
Given that, they are hopeful that Fig may be able to defy the odds and find a new home to spend his remaining years in. “He seems like a pretty laid back guy, I think he could adjust to any kind of family,” the spokesperson said.
It’s heartbreaking that this poor cat was surrendered after 7 years… we hope he finds a new home soon 💔😢
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