“I’ve never seen another cat like that.”
The staff at Haralson County Animal Shelter (HCAS) are used to taking care of unique cats.
Some come in with physical disabilities, while others light up the shelter with their quirky personalities. No matter their differences, the dedicated team of caregivers is always ready to shower each new resident with love.
That’s what happened the other day when the Georgia-based shelter took in eight stray cats. They fell in love with each of the little ones — but one cat naturally stood out from the rest.
Igor, an orange tabby, looked up at his new friends with a cartoon-like scowl.
“I’ve never seen another cat like that,” Amanda Matthews, HCAS’s field officer and Igor’s primary caregiver, told The Dodo. “He’s very unique with his grumpy face.”
The vet team didn’t know much about Igor’s medical condition, but they soon learned that his vision wasn’t fully impacted by his adorable deformity.
“He can still see,” Matthews said. “But he’s very near-sighted. He would get lost in my shelter very easily.”
Igor loved exploring the shelter, venturing into every nook and cranny. Sometimes, his adventures would cause him to get stuck, and the panicked boy would promptly howl for help.
“He got stuck behind a door at one point and was just crying because he couldn’t figure out how to get out from it,” Matthews said.
He’d never cry for too long, though. His new best friends encouraged his curiosity, but they always stayed close by just in case he needed them.
After every rescue, and any other time a human was around, Igor would thank them with a snuggle.
“All he wants to do is cuddle,” Matthews said. “He’s such a sweet cat for [someone with] such a grumpy little face.”
The rescued cat was shy at first, but he quickly warmed up to Matthews and the rest of his new human friends.
Two weeks after his arrival, a potential adopter walked into the shelter, hoping to scoop up the perfect cat.
She fell in love with a 3-month-old kitten, Spooks — and then Igor caught her attention.
“She adopted him and the younger kitten,” Matthews said, “taking the couch potato and the playful little one at the same time.”
Igor went home to his new family with his fluffy little sister in tow, where he’s been enjoying life ever since.
Matthews and her colleagues fell head over heels for Igor over his two-week stay, and they would’ve loved keeping him around as an office cat. But, in the end, they’re so happy that he finally has a cozy home and a loving family to call his own.
Every one of their rescues deserves a home, but Igor, especially, needed it: “He’s just the sweetest thing ever.”
