Animals often seem to possess an uncanny ability to find the right humans to care for them. Just as dogs can detect when someone isn’t kind, many pets can sense when someone has a good heart and kind intentions. This might explain why a 9-year-old tabby cat, abandoned on the streets of Montreal, Canada, found his way to the doorstep of a couple named Steph and Francis.
Steph and Francis had started feeding stray cats near their apartment and soon noticed a gray tabby hanging around regularly. Since he resembled their own cat, Pruno, they gave him the nickname Granpruno. It wasn’t long before they learned that a former neighbor had moved away, leaving behind her cats to fend for themselves on the streets. While many of the cats had been picked up by local authorities, a few, like Granpruno, were still out there.
At first, Granpruno seemed healthy. His fur was clean, and he appeared well-fed. He would come by daily to enjoy the food the couple left out for him. His friendly demeanor made them think he must belong to someone in the neighborhood. Wanting to help him further, they contacted Chaton Orphelins Montreal, a local animal rescue. Their plan was to capture Granpruno and take him to the shelter to see if he had a microchip. However, before they could do so, the cat disappeared for several weeks.
One day, while taking out the trash, Steph and Francis were shocked to find Granpruno sitting inside their garbage bin. Unfortunately, he looked like a completely different cat than before. He was now skin and bones and clearly unwell.
“He was skin and bones and he didn’t seem good at all,” Chatons Orphelins Montréal shared on Facebook. “When he approached them, they immediately hugged him. Without saying anything, he let himself depart [with them].”
Realizing he needed help, the couple rushed Granpruno to the vet, where he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, a condition that made him lose weight and struggle to keep food down. The vet prescribed medication, and Steph and Francis decided to take him home to foster him while looking for someone to adopt him.
These abusers are facing numerous charges of animal abuse, but we must also ensure they never own or interact with pets again and receive counseling for their twisted psychological states.
Once Granpruno’s health improved, his true personality began to shine. He became one of the most affectionate cats Steph and Francis had ever met. They grew so attached to him that they decided to adopt him permanently. It seems Granpruno always knew he had found his perfect match in Steph and Francis.