For 1-year-old feline Arlo, he goes about his day like any cat. Mostly sleeping, a bit of eating and maybe some human interaction–or lots from what we’re hearing. But after being with his family up until now, the poor boy is currently living at the shelter. *HAPPY UPDATES AT END OF ARTICLE!
Sadly, Arlo’s story is like thousands of others around the world.
When his family was forced to move into an apartment, they were not able to secure one that allowed pets.
[They] handed him into the centre earlier this month after not being able to keep him in rented accommodations.
However, for Arlo, he is going to need help finding the perfect FOREVER home. He was born with facial abnormalities that luckily, aren’t hindering his well-being. To be honest, with his cute little face, the shelter may have TOO many potential adopters!
Not that should ever be a thing for the cats of the world…
Court yard at the Bridgend Adoption Centre
But the staff and volunteers at the Cats Protection Bridgend Adoption Centre will be sure to find Arlo his purrfect match.
And from what they are reporting, he is nothing but a joy to have around.
Manager Sue Dobbs said: “Arlo is an absolute sweetheart, and he’s charmed all the staff at the centre. He may look a bit different from other cats, but he’s got a lot of love to give, and is full of fun and mischief.
They weren’t able to learn any info about what may have caused the abnormalities though.
“We’re not able to tell what has caused Arlo’s facial deformity. But it doesn’t seem to be causing him a problem at the moment. He has had a thorough vet check. And although he seems healthy, we can’t rule out any further internal issues, which may cause a problem later on. It’s also possible that he may have a shorter life expectancy.
We really hope this won’t put off prospective owners, as Arlo is such a lovely cat and deserves a happy and loving home.
Clearly, with the response Arlo is getting online after only a few hours, they’ll have plenty to choose from.
From the Cat Protection Bridgend Adoption Centre Facebook page:
We have had a lot of people express an interest in adopting Arlo, so we are asking people who are interested to complete a homefinder questionniare, this can be done over the phone by calling 01656 724396 or emailing bridgend@cats.org.uk. We’ll then go through the forms to find the most suitable home for him.
We are looking for a home with no other pets. The less stress for Arlo the better. We haven’t put Arlo in our homing corridor as we don’t want to overwhelm him with lots of viewings 🙂
The viewing corridor at the shelter
We’ll be sure to keep an eye on his story and share any info–likely a happy tail update story!
UPDATED 11/6/2019
It didn’t take long at all for Arlo to find a forever home after his story went viral.
And the shelter is happy to share all the updates from his newly smitten human. Which happily include photos of his adorably lovable face!
BUT even better news? His new mom started an Instagram page for him! You can now see lots of updates, photos and follow Arlo’s daily journey.
I just thought I would give you all a little update. Arlo has settled very well, a little nervous initially but the spare bedroom was set up as his safe room. He’s eating and drinking fine, and has been exploring the house all morning. He’s a big fan of cuddling watching Netflix!
I’ve set up an Instagram for him; @TheArtfulArlo and I’ll post pictures now and again for people to follow, since so many were interested in social media.
REMEMBER: ADOPT, DON’T SHOP; FOSTERING SAVES LIVES & SPAY AND NEUTER!
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I have 5 cats. I am so glad I don’t have to deal with apartment life!!! It is so difficult to get a place that would allow ONE cat…much less 5!!! 4 of the five are actually family. Patches (tuxedo cat), her sons Blacky (black cat) and Tiger (tuxedo tabby) and her daughter Booties (another tuxedo cat). I added Tabby (spotted tabby) later. They are all ferals, but, are all just CRAZY about me! I have a photo of the family all lieing on the window sill in my office, all in a line.
Something needs to be done about the housing situation in general. Too little new rental accommodation is being built & rents are too high. Landlords are becoming cut-throat pirates, riding the high seas of homelessness. And now that we know of the many emotional, physical, & psychological benefits of animal companionship, we need to get rid of these “No Pets” clauses in rental agreements. People themselves damage units. Most pets never do. And what are damage deposits for, anyway? I’m sorry for Arlo, of course; but I’m sorry for his people, too. It’s only recently that shelters for abused women have sprung up which accept pets, simply because many women will stay put & take a beating rather than abandon their beloved cat or dog. Some of these women wind up dead, but that is the measure of the human-animal bond. That needs to start being taken into account by those who regulate rentals.
I rent out a ground floor flat in Glasgow & have previously had a tenant with a dog & currently have a tenant with a cat. I have never regretted allowing animals. As long as the person is a responsible tenant, there should never be an issue.