On March 1, a young woman called Standish Humane Society after she had been forced to face a heartbreaking ultimatum from her parents: it was either the cat or her place in the house.
“George unfortunately was not neutered and had been spraying and urinating in the house,” Standish Humane Society volunteer Madison Opachinski told Newsweek. “It is unclear how long it had been happening but eventually the parents had enough and had said for the daughter to live in the home she needed to get rid of George.”
The rescue tried to guide the owner to neuter George first, even offering to pay for the neutering so that he could remain in his home, but it was not an option for the family.
@madisonopachinski/TikTok
“To add to the situation, this owner was clearly distraught having to surrender her companion animal and George is clearly depressed being in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar humans and other unfamiliar cats around him,” Joyce Keyes, president of Standish Humane Society, told Newsweek.
In a video shared on TikTok by Opachinski, George’s story was revealed to the internet, along with footage of the upset cat sitting in the cage at the shelter and a sad note that explained the story. With more than 2 million views, it has pulled on the heartstrings of many.
“Cats do well with consistency and routine and some transitions are harder than others. Surrendering a cat should always be a last resort, not first choice,” said Keyes. “At Standish Humane Society we certainly try to provide alternative resolutions to surrender. It is almost always better for both the cat and the human when they can remain together.”
In the video, George is sitting curled up next to bowls of food that remain untouched.
Keyes said that George’s story is a prime example of the significance of neutering male cats to prevent any unwanted behaviors. “Neutering a male cat is paramount to preventing them from spraying, having pungent urine smells, trying to get out of the house, and even aggressive behaviors. It also helps prevent testicular and prostate cancer in felines; and obviously helps to reduce the number of homeless or unwanted pets in the world,” she said.
Thankfully, there is hope on the horizon for George, especially since the video of his story gained viral attention.
“Due to the video the shelter has gotten so many applications for George from people all over the U.S.,” Opachinski said.
With an approved adopter scheduled to visit him soon, staff are optimistic that he will find a loving and patient home where he can thrive.
“He is a young sweet male who just needs time now to adjust,” Keyes said.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.