Adopting my cat absolutely changed my life — and it changed his life too. He was a few years old, a slightly dull gray, and weirdly open to a stranger's pets. I was hoping for an occasional snuggle buddy, what I got was an obsessed best friend. And after years of love and good food, Paul looks like a completely different cat. That's what love does; it transforms!
I know I'm not alone, which is why I scoured the good old pages of the subreddit /BeforeNAfterAdoption to demonstrate how much a warm, loving home can turn around a kitty's life. Check out these 15 cats before and after adoption.
1. Kira
"Kira was founded almost dead of starvation in a farm with cows. She was healthy in one week and we kept her. Summer 2018."
Credit: u/saludete
2. Phoenix
"Phoenix was rescued from the streets and was covered in hot tar. Little over a month later, he looks amazing, he loves humans and is ready to enter a loving home 🥰"
Credit: u/arvindred1
3. Midnight
"The pictures were taken about two weeks apart. She went to the vet every two weeks for treatments so I decided to document it that way. She has become such a loving and sweet girl!"
Credit: u/chickinkyiv
4. Jake
"One year ago, Jake was found underneath a car, alone and half frozen. He was 4 weeks old and his mom was gone. Now he's the biggest kitty with the most personality that I've ever met."
Credit: u/[deleted]
5. Sonny
"2 years ago today I walked into a Petsmart and met a cat named Sonny who no one would adopt because he was 13 years old, covered in fleas, underweight, and had a mouth full of rotten teeth that had to be removed. He came home with me that night and it was the best decision I’ve ever made."
Credit: u/verrattishmurda
6. Moss
"This is Moss. She ran in front of my car on the highway one month ago. Lots of love, care and play later, she has stolen our hearts."
Credit: u/boilerine
7. Snowball
"After about a year and a half after showing up on our porch, Snowball has improved immeasurably. She’s my perfect angel."
Credit: u/webchanne
8. Stacy
"Found this little lady crying in a parking lot with fleas and a badly broken leg. Here she is 3 months and 2 surgeries later."
Credit: u/skele_jeans
9. Cousteau
"Our sweet Cousteau! From a scrawny street kitty in New Orleans to a prince living in Paris ♥️"
Credit: u/sn0wb0und
10. Drippy
"Thankfully, nothing was majorly wrong with her! She is one in a litter of outdoor kittens who were malnourished when I found them, to the point that they couldn't even meow, and she had an upper respiratory infection when I took her in. I got her through a round of antibiotics and regular face/eye cleanings, and now she's right as rain."
Credit: u/theknittywit
11. BenBen
"This is BenBen. Before/After death row."
Credit: u/benbencatcat
12. Roadrunner
"We think he got stuck in a car engine or was hit by a car. :-( He was brought to the shelter like that. The wounds looked like burns - either road burn or from an engine was the vet’s guess."
Credit: u/sydhasmybike
13. Ciri
"Two months ago a box full of severely malnourished kittens was left at the vets, unfortunately only one of them was still alive but she was only just hanging on. With a ton of hard work and love, little Ciri is now a perfectly healthy kitten who loves to play and explore."
Credit: u/reece_93
14. Harry
"From feral to friend (Harry’s story). Last January, we received word that there a was a feral cat found with a terrible head wound. He was on death’s doorstep. We took him in to recover and 8 months later he won’t leave our side."
Credit: u/higgsthecat
15. Gus Gus
"We picked him and his two sisters up from our local animal control. He didn’t originally come into the shelter that way but after being there a few weeks I guess being in a room with a bunch of other cats he got an extremely bad case of conjunctivitis along with an upper respiratory infection. Unfortunately he also had a little brother who did not make it:("
Credit: u/allthecatzzz