Sweet Charlotte was brought into the ASPCA Animal Hospital in poor condition. The small, three-year-old tabby cat had been abandoned in Brooklyn, New York, and was sick and suffering from severe damage to her left eye. Fortunately, she was rescued by a Good Samaritan, who immediately sought proper care for her and brought her into the team at the Animal Hospital. The veterinary team moved quickly to help the sweet kitty, but unfortunately, the damage to her eye proved to be irreversible and Charlotte’s eye had to be removed completely.

During her time in recovery, Charlotte was dealt another bit of bad news. She tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), which weakens a cat’s immune system and makes them susceptible to other infections. A diagnosis of FIV may sound scary to most pet parents and adopters, and while it can be harmful if left untreated, cats who are FIV-positive can live long, happy lives with appropriate medical treatment. Despite this fact, many people tend to overlook the cats who have this illness— a sad reality.

But the team at the ASPCA Adoption Center never gave up on Charlotte. In fact, they quickly noticed that despite her shy and apprehensive demeanor, Charlotte had a loving and relentless spirit.

And then one day everything changed for Charlotte.

Hillary H. had recently decided that she was ready to have a pet. Despite never considering herself a “cat person,” she had been won over by her sister’s Bengal cat and began to look on the ASPCA website for a furry friend of her own.

“I saw Charlotte and just thought she was the cutest thing. She had one eye, and I felt empathy for her,” Hillary says.  “My boyfriend wasn't too excited about getting a cat. He strongly opposed it until I showed him the photo of Charlotte, and then he immediately said 'yes' to getting her.”

In that instant, Charlotte had found a home and two loving pet parents. Hillary quickly went to the Adoption Center to bring home her future family member. 

Moving to a new place with new people was a scary transition for the young cat, who had already endured so much. Hillary tells us that it required a bit of patience and understanding to help Charlotte adjust to her new home, but that now she’s begun to trust them as her pet parents and enjoy her new life.  “When we come home now, we find her curled up on the lounge chair on her blanket, or on the window sill looking outside. When we pet her, you can tell she enjoys the attention.”

Although Charlotte’s suffering was difficult to see, her recovery and her journey to such a loving home has been truly touching. It was a tough journey, but Charlotte was tougher.

Charlotte is just one of the many rescued animals that have found a true happy ending, and most importantly, an even happier home. You can create your own “Happy Tail” by adopting a shelter animal today.