Certain types of cats, like seniors or kitties with disabilities, have a harder time finding homes than others. In honor of these kitties and pets like them, Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week starts in the third full week in September. In 2021, it takes place from September 19th to the 25th.
These cats may be a bit different and have some special needs, but they still deserve happy homes with loving families. To celebrate these amazing cats, we’re sharing stories of less adoptable cats who found loving forever homes.
If you’re thinking about adopting, we hope that these stories inspire you to take a chance on a less adoptable kitty during Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week. Not only will it change your life, but it will also change the life of an animal who needs you!
1. Lil Bub
If you’ve been on the internet at all, then you’ve probably heard of this cat. Lil Bub was a sensation and became an internet celebrity cat known for her cute expressions, tiny size, and her tongue sticking out.
This successful kitty, however, had a very rare degenerative bone condition called osteopetrosis that caused her bones to get more deformed as they continued to grow.
Even with her condition, Lil Bub’s human took her in and gave her a forever home, changing both her life and his life for the better. Lil Bub became an extremely happy cat who was loved not just by her human, but by the entire world.
She was the runt of the litter, but she went on to rule the internet.
2. Three-Legged Cat Finds Forever Home
A few years ago, Sylvia was found alone in the woods with a mangled right front leg. Unfortunately, vets had to amputate her injured leg, and she spent a few months in a shelter.
It looked like no one wanted to take this special kitty with three legs home, and the people at the shelter started to get worried. That’s when her new dad came to the rescue.
This cat’s life completely changed thanks to one good human who didn’t look down upon her because she had three legs.
In her forever home, she loved to play non-stop. Having three legs didn’t slow her down one bit.
3. Orren The Cat With Respiratory Issues
Orren the cat was rescued alongside 150 other animals in North Carolina.
As soon as the rescuers entered the building, they could hear Orren breathing heavily, and it was obvious he had respiratory issues. He also had a little cauliflower ear, problems with chronic eye and nose drainage, and a heart murmur.
This cat had little chance of being adopted because of all his conditions, but luckily a member of the Humane Society of the United States Animal Rescue Team contacted a friend, and Orren was adopted right away.
Even with his disabilities, Orren was an extremely lovable cat who got pampered by his new human.
4. Grumpy Cat
Even though she tragically passed away, Grumpy Cat may still be the queen of all cat memes!
She may have achieved celebrity status during her lifetime, but did you know she also had a disability? She had feline dwarfism along with an underbite.
Even though the world still loves her, that wasn’t always the case. Thankfully her human adopted her even with her different looking face and body.
Grumpy Cat is proof that adopting a kitty with a disability can be just as great as adopting any other cat. And who knows? They may change your life — and the lives of many, many adoring fans — for the better.
5. 20-Year-Old Cat Finally Finds Home
Senior kitties like 20-year-old Dexter — you read that right! 20 years old! — have an extremely difficult time getting adopted.
With younger cats and kittens around, senior cats are often not as desired as their younger counterparts.
Thankfully a family decided to open up their home to Dexter and give him a place to live out the rest of his days. He went from living in a hoarding situation with 100 other cats and being malnourished, to having a real family.
He even got a new five-year-old human best friend who he loved to mush and cuddle.
6. Oskar The Blind Kitty
Oskar the cat was born blind. He suffered from a severe form of microphthalmia so his eyes never fully developed.
Even with this condition, Oskar was one of the happiest cats who always lived life to the fullest no matter what. Besides his blindness, Oskar lived a completely normal life and functioned just like any other cat. He loved to play, sleep, and eat of course!
When he was found as a stray on a farm in Iowa, instead of giving him away because of his blindness, his family decided that it didn’t matter and took him in anyway. Oskar may have been blind, but it didn’t stop him from loving life.
7. Wobbly Cat With Cerebellar Hypoplasia Finds Dog Best Friend
Ralphee the kitten had a neurological condition known as feline cerebellar hypoplasia. This condition affected his ability to control coordination and fine motor skills, leaving him with a different way of walking. Some people called him “Wobbly Cat.”
Conditions like these can deter people from adopting animals because they can be difficult to deal with, but luckily, Ralphee’s family decided that this condition was not enough to keep them from adopting him.
In his forever home, Ralphee had a new doggy best friend named Max who was always by his side no matter what. Max looked out for Ralphee and made sure he was always safe.
8. Monty, The Cat With No Nasal Bridge
Monty the cat caused quite a stir on the internet because of his face. Due to chromosomal abnormalities, he was born with a flat nose, making his eyes appear unusually far apart from each other and giving him an abnormal look.
His family adopted him because they didn’t care what he looked like; they only cared that he was a loving and affectionate cat who needed a forever home. Monty proved that looks don’t mean a thing.
Not only was he a star, but he was one of the sweetest cats you could ever meet.
9. Lazarus, The Kitty With A Cleft Palate
Lazarus the rescue cat was unique because she was born with a cleft palate. Even with her rare look, she became a sensation on Vine thanks to her human, who wanted to share her love for her cat with the internet.
Cats like Lazarus prove that having a disability shouldn’t stop a pet from being adopted. Lazarus deserves love just like any other cat without a cleft palate.
It can take extra work to care for a cat with a disability like Lazarus, but her human knew that the extra work was worth it. Cats like Lazarus sometimes never make it out of shelters, so remember Lazarus’ story next time you’re thinking of adopting.
Will you help us share these stories and encourage adoption during Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week? Have you ever adopted a less adoptable kitty? Let us know in the comments below!
