A shelter cat who was “shutting down” after losing her owner has a new home thanks to a viral TikTok video.
Amabella’s former owner was forced to surrender her to the Humane Society of Broward County (HSBC) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 17 July after becoming homeless.
“Amabella and her owner lived in a truck together for two weeks before her owner decided it was best for both of them if Amabella lived with a new family,” Susan Leonti, digital marketing specialist at the Humane Society of Broward County, told Newsweek.
After being separated from her owner, the 8-year-old feline fell into a deep depression, becoming withdrawn.
@humanebroward/TikTok
“She began hiding from us more and was no longer seeking attention from us or showing a desire to play or interact,” Leonti said. “She even ignored the treats we would give her.”
Research by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) found that roughly 3.2 million cats are surrendered to shelters every year in the U.S.
According to the society’s National Rehoming Survey, common reasons that owners rehomed their pets or handed them to a shelter were “pet problems,” such as behavioral issues, health troubles, or the pet growing larger than anticipated.
However, family-related reasons, such as the birth of a child, costs and a change in housing were also cited, with owners battling financial issues most likely to surrender their pet to a shelter.
After two weeks, HSBC shared a video of Amabella to their TikTok account (@humanebroward) in the hopes of finding her a love new home. The footage shows a withdrawn Amabella looking anxiously at the camera from her pen, alongside a note titled “Shutting down.”
“I don’t know if I can take this anymore,” the print-out reads. “My Dad lost his home and I moved into a truck with him. After awhile, he thought it would be better for me if I found a new home.
@humanebroward/TikTok
“I miss him. We slept together under his blanket and I miss his love. Now I’ve been alone in this cage waiting for someone to choose me.”
The clip went viral, breaking TikTokers’ hearts and receiving 2.5 million views.
“Poor baby,” commented Messenger1979.
“This just destroyed me,” said Brie Pesz.
“This is so heartbreaking, you can see the sadness in her eyes,” wrote potato.layne, while abbey said: “Someone adopt this girl right now.”
“I feel heartbroken for her owner too,” commented Nicole. “He didn’t give up on her, he wanted better for her.”
Fortunately, Amabella’s new-found internet fame paid off, and in under 24 hours, a new family had claimed her.
“We had interested adopters message us about her from around the world,” Leonti said. “Amabella is loving her new home, which she shares with her new human sister. She is settling into her new life nicely.”
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