A new star is shining brightly in Northern Illinois. Bruno, a 7-year-old, 25 pound Russian Blue polydactyl cat who is up for adoption at Wright-Way Rescue in Morton Grove. He has captured the spotlight and the attention of the world this week.
Photo: Facebook/Wright Way Rescue
The big boy was brought into the no-kill shelter in April 2018. His family unfortunately had to surrender him after he wasn’t “meshing” well with their young children. After likely being loved a bit too much with over-feeding, the overweight cat is healthy other than needing to be on a diet.
He was brought to a foster home where his food intake could be monitored more closely and a daily exercise routine could be implemented.
Photo: Facebook/Wright Way Rescue
Although happy to be out of a shelter atmosphere, he did hide under the couch for the first few days. His purrents reported that he “would come out once he saw his foster mom was home (not hear, but actually saw her with my eyes…)”.
As he became comfortable in his temporary surroundings, his purrticular quirks began to show.
Now, all cats have these, but Bruno’s are a bit more entertaining and specific.
He would adorably beg for his meals by sitting on his back legs and practice his telepathy requesting food. He’s been known to do this for as long as 20 minutes!
Photo: Facebook/Wright Way Rescue
But even after his food bowl was filled, Bruno would meow with disapproval. His attentive foster parents soon realized that he wanted them to pet him WHILE he was eating. He begrudgingly eats still if you don’t, but will complain loudly throughout the meal and show you his “disappointed look”.
They also learned that he refuses to drink from his water bowl if it is in the same room as his food. He apparently needs to have separate food and drinking rooms! *cough cough diva* Since he likes to drink a lot of water, the shelter will make sure his furever family has enough space in their home to adhere to Bruno rules.
Photo: Facebook/Wright Way Rescue
This handsome boy and his need for attention usually means that he is always near to his humans. Whoever is lucky enough to adopt him should be prepared to be in his vicinity at all times. Not that it means he will be on your lap or cuddling with you though! As with his delicate eating habits, he has just as many rules and regulations for showering him with the attention he begs for.
Fortunately, there are some clear guidelines that have been documented for what he will and won’t allow during worshipping sessions.
- You can safely scratch the sides of his neck and face.
- He will welcome a good pat on the top of his head and spine….ONLY!
- Prepare to be swatted and feign off pretend “bites” if you attempt to touch his falsely inviting belly.
- He wants to be near you, but will only rarely climb into laps.
- His days are spent lounging around and his nights are spent at the end of the bed, but he will leave you enough room.
- Be sure to have feather wand toys in bulk. It is one of the only toys he really likes; great though as it is a wonderful toy for exercising.
- He couldn’t care less about scratching pads and other toys right now.
Photo: Facebook/Wright Way Rescue
Bruno will also never shy away from telling you what he wants, stories of how his day is going and just about anything else he can vocalize.
If you can handle a cat sharing his ameowzing voice with you and you like holding conversations with felines, he is purrfect for you!
Bruno’s newfound fame has allowed him to demand his furever human also have some quirks.
The shelter began receiving so many adoption applications for the big lover when the news stories hit, they needed to filter out the most “extra” humans to match Bruno’s purrsonality. They posted their special request on their Facebook page.
And oh boy, they were NOT disappointed with what they received!
One woman who quickly became a fan favorite, was Lauren Paris. This talented woman even sang an original song declaring her love for Bruno! She shared the ballad with her friends and family online as well as the influence the video has had so far.
“UPDATE: Yesterday I was inspired to submit an adoption application for Bruno the cat at Wright Way Rescue – who’s since gone viral! They have APPROVED our official application, and confirmed receiving the additional materials submitted via FB message: letters of intent, recommendation, and videos of us and our home (I’m a little extra, just like Bruno). So nice of them to take the time to do so, during this exciting and overwhelming time for the shelter!
Second City’s own Kathleen Gibson was inspired by Bruno (who wasn’t) to write us this song. We’re very serious about this adoption and really hope we’re selected to meet Bruno next week, but as Kathleen said: “either way we created something beautiful today for an Internet cat we’ve never met so everyone wins”.
#BodyPawsitive#RealCatsHaveCurves“
So now shelter workers are narrowing down the massive stack of applications as potential adopters are meeting Bruno in person. We’re sure the deserving cat will have a say in the decision as well; he obviously has us all trained superbly!
Bruno is sure to continue on his road to stardom. He happily “sits up” for his adoring audience!
Congratulations and a big THUMB’S UP to Bruno and his new family! Thank you for sharing this wonderful boy with the world 😉
Photo: Instagram @theebrunobartlett
What more could you want in a cat? It might give me an incentive to lose weight too. He still is beautiful even with a few extra pounds but he’ll be incredible when he does lose the weight. He sure is a character and has charm too, all the more to love. May he find the best furever home and family that suits him the best. (I know that it can be a challenge getting Fat Cats to lose and maintain weight as I have two Fat Cats.)
He is indeed adorable. How could anyone resist? His new family should however keep an eye on his blood sugar levels. The mention of how he likes to drink a lot of water, plus his. weight odes make one wonder about the possibility of feline diabetes. Hopefully not, or hopefully a new diet and exercise regimen will correct any problem that might be developing in that direction. Sory to sound like a killjoy, the story is delightful and I only wish him the best.
My cat needs me to pet him while he eats. He doesn’t like to dine alone. He’ll come get me if he is hungry.
If adopters live in an apartment please check if they have security nets at the windows