Shelter cat with ‘mean face’ is actually ‘incredibly affectionate.’ She needs a home
A “feisty” cat has a “mean face” — but a Florida shelter hopes someone will give her a second look.
“True cat lovers know you have to look past the facade,” Orange County Animal Services wrote June 22 on Facebook. “Because inside, Chloe is sweet, curious, and incredibly affectionate. But always on her terms.”
Chloe is up for adoption after she was found as a stray. The curious cat kept following a pet owner on walks with her dog, according to an online adoption profile and shelter spokesperson Bryant Almeida.
But after Chloe was brought to the Orlando shelter on June 12, her friendly behavior shifted. She reportedly started “swatting and hissing, trying to escape, and did not allow anyone near her.”
“Our vets estimated her age to be two years old, and she probably spent every bit of that time on her own, surviving,” the shelter wrote. “This was an alien place to her and she was unhappy, but we gave her time, and hoped she would come around.”
At first, shelter workers thought she would become a working cat, one used for pest control. But Chloe eventually became more comfortable in the shelter environment, showing her playful side and letting people pet her.
“Slowly but surely, everyone started to fall in love with this feisty girl with the mean face,” the shelter wrote. “That’s the thing about Chloe, she looks at you like a hunter looks at her prey. Her heart has softened, but her eyes have not. It can be quite intimidating.”
Chloe also is described as a “gentle” cat who “can be selective with whom she likes.” As of June 25, the beloved feline was still waiting for her second chance, Almeida told McClatchy News in an email.
More details about the shelter’s adoption process can be found at orangecountyanimalservicesfl.net.
This story was originally published June 25, 2024 at 1:10 PM.
