Cat Once Abandoned for Being Too Affectionate Finds New Hope in a New Family
Jacque’s story starts with a simple truth, some cats just want to love hard. Instead of being seen as sweet, that affection once got him abandoned, leaving him with a rough road and a long wait for someone who would appreciate his clingy side.
Now, after years of uncertainty, Jacque has a new chance with a family that seems ready for all the cuddles he can give. His journey is a reminder that the traits one home rejects can be exactly what another home falls in love with.
And Jacque’s next chapter may be the happiest one yet.
Jacque was first abandoned in May of 2016.
Jacque was only 7 months old when his first owner moved away and simply did not take the sweet kitten with him. Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a clinical psychologist and expert in relationships, shared insights on the emotional impacts of abandonment in an interview:
"Pets, much like people, experience profound emotional distress when they are abandoned. This kind of trauma can lead to long-lasting effects on their behavior and trust."
Like many shelters, the one Jacque was in was overcrowded, and sweet little Jacque was repeatedly passed up for adoption. Because of the amount of time Jacque had spent at the shelter, he was placed on the euthanasia list. It was then that his life was spared thanks to a visit from Nancy Hutchinson.
Immediately enamored with the sweet cat, Nancy said:
I saw him in his cage and felt so bad for him. I opened up his cage and... sat on the floor with him for a while, and he sat on my lap. I thought, 'Wow. What a nice cat.'
Hutchinson knew she couldn't sit idly by while such a sweet and affectionate cat was put to sleep for no reason. She knew someone out there would truly appreciate how special he was, so she pulled Jacque from the shelter and took him into the care of Michigan Cat Rescue. She then immediately had her team of volunteers work to find Jacque his forever home.
Hutchinson said that they made it very clear what kind of cat Jacque was, advertising him specifically as a "lap cat." This appeared to work, as a woman came along and happily adopted sweet Jacque!
Sadly, this was simply not the happy ever after the rescue had hoped for.
Unbelievably, after less than a year, the woman returned Jacque to the rescue! Hutchinson said:
After about a year, she said she didn’t want him anymore! She said, 'He’s constantly trying to sit in my lap — I just can’t stand it anymore. I’ll have to return him to you — this is not what I signed up for.'
It almost goes without saying that everyone at Michigan Cat Rescue was stunned. Nancy remarked:
Actually, it is what she signed up for because she requested a lap cat specifically, but she just became tired of having him.
Jacque’s glow-up echoes these before-and-after rescue cat photos after adoption.
Can you imagine how Jacque felt being abandoned twice? Hutchinson said it upset everyone, and Jacque was visibly distressed. Even worse, his emotional trauma led to him getting physically sick. Hutchinson sadly recalled:
He didn't eat for a few days. I think he was confused and upset by the rejection. Stress can really take its toll — not just on people, but on animals — and it broke down his immune system. He had a horrible upper respiratory cold; his eyes were swollen and infected.
With respect and dedication, the team at Michigan Cat Rescue helped nurse Jacque back to health and began the search for the right forever home for the sweet cat.
Hutchinson said this time they were much pickier about who would get to welcome Jacque into their home and hearts:
We received a lot of applications for him, but many of them weren’t appropriate for his personality.
It was then that a woman named Liz Myziuk and her husband applied to adopt Jacque. Hutchinson had a good feeling, which led her to set up a meeting between Liz, her husband, and Jacque.
Hutchinson recounted the events that took place:
We met Liz and her husband at one of our veterinary hospitals, and we put them in a room together. I let him out of the carrier, and he walked around a little bit. Then they picked him up and put him in their laps, and he just stayed there. They were crying and so happy — they were so in love with him.
Hutchinson said:
I left him in the room with them, and they came out and said, 'We want to give him a home. We want to take him.' Then I started crying. I was just so, so happy. I think Jacque was relieved, too. I think he knew he finally had his happy ending.
Liz and her husband brought their new fur baby home, and with a new start, they also gave him a new name: Giuseppe.
Joyfully, Hutchinson said:
They absolutely love him. He’s doing really well. It’s just really great.
Feeling a sincere emotional connection to Giuseppe and everything he's been through, Hutchinson is genuinely thrilled that the cuddly cat got the forever home he truly deserves:
We were so upset when he was returned to us by his owner. I was just so heartbroken for him, and I can tell that it hurt him as well. So to find him the perfect home is just a beautiful, beautiful thing. It makes me cry because that’s why we do all of this, and that’s why we struggle every day just to save their lives so they have good, happy lives.
We never get tired of a cat's happily ever after.
Ready for a harsher twist, see how a cat traveled 12 miles after being abandoned.
Share this article:
