Hearts are breaking over the reason a white cat was surrendered by his owner to an Atlanta shelter.
Deanna manages the Furkids Midtown Atlanta Center, a no-kill animal shelter. She wrote in last week’s TikTok video posted to her @atlmotherofkittens, that she normally does not share about cats who just recently came into the shelter, but after hearing Everest’s story, her heart shattered.
A 1-year-old white cat named Everest was surrendered by his owner. He lived with his owner since he was a kitten. But the owner didn’t want him anymore because of his fur. He shed his white fur all over.
Shedding is a natural process for cats. It removes the dead hairs and replaces them with new, healthy fur. Some cat breeds shed more than others and sometimes a cat’s fur can trigger allergies. While normal, the shedding still became too much for Everest’s previous owner.
The video stated Everest immediately shut down when he was brought into the shelter and he “howled” in fear. His whole world turned upside down. The shelter also learned the owner never took him to the vet or got him fixed.
“We also think he may be deaf but need to conduct tests,” Deanna told Newsweek via TikTok. “If he is deaf, it’s even more heartbreaking. We don’t think his original owner knew he was deaf, she didn’t seem to care when she surrendered him – she walked in saying, ‘I don’t want this cat.’”
Since the video, Furkids has received several adoption applications for Everest. Applicants will receive updates on when he will be officially ready to go to his forever home.
“He’s still a little scared,” Deanna said. “He is processing what’s happened since now he’s in a shelter where there’s a lot of noises and people.”
But Deanna wrote in the caption that she’s making it her “mission to find him the best home. He deserves so much more than the life he’s lived so far.”
Viewer Reactions
With over half a million views and 95,900 likes on TikTok as of Wednesday, people couldn’t believe the reason for Everest’s surrender, stating “how cruel” it was to the cat.
“Man, this makes me so angry. I hope this baby finds a good family that deserves him,” commented a viewer.
Another added: “I will never understand how anyone can be cruel to an animal.”
A third said: “My cat has torn my couch to shreds but he’s family! You don’t just give up on family. Poor baby.”
The post Reason Family Surrendered White Cat Angered Viewers: ‘How Cruel’ appeared first on Newsweek.
