From the Streets to Snuggles: The Cat Nobody Wanted Gets a Second Chance

Not every shelter cat gets a fair chance. Some are passed over because they’re too old, too sick, or just a little too different. But for one couple, those were exactly the cats they wanted to help.

That’s how they met Ronald.

He was frail, filthy, and missing every single tooth. The shelter said he had dental disease, but when they took him to their vet, they found nothing. No teeth at all. So at least there was one upside—biting wouldn’t be a problem.

At the shelter, he loved getting head scratches, but his little paws told another story. The insides of his arms were raw—he had been licking himself obsessively until he bled, likely from loneliness or stress. He was thin, food-aggressive, and had clearly spent too much time fending for himself on the streets of NYC.

But the real surprise came when they got him home.

Ronald had explosive, uncontrollable diarrhea. And he made sure everything—the floors, the walls, even a cell phone—knew about it. If there was one thing they learned that day, it was that cats can fart. And it is terrifying.

Still, there was no turning back.

They got him cleaned up (several times, actually—because he had no idea how to groom himself). He wasn’t even sure what a bed was, but exhaustion took over, and before long, he was sleeping through everything—even the vacuum.

The diarrhea, however, was another battle. Seven months, three medications, and countless vet visits later, they finally found a combination that worked. Ronald was fragile, but he was a fighter.

And through it all, he gave nothing but love.

Despite everything he had endured, Ronald was affectionate from the moment he left the shelter cage. He snuggled in the car, slept peacefully on long rides, and even had an adorable, saggy-cheeked :3 face because of his missing teeth.

He had been just days away from being put to sleep at the shelter. But now? He had a family who adored him, no matter the cost, the mess, or the chaos.

So here’s the lesson: Adopt the ones who get passed over. The weird ones. The sick ones. The ones nobody else looks at.

Because sometimes, the ones who seem the most broken have the biggest hearts of all.