03-08-2025
'Unadoptable' Shelter Cat Had Given Up on Life—Then a Stranger Saw Him
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
When one New Jersey woman first saw a shut-down shelter cat marked as "unadoptable," she knew exactly what she had to do.
"The first time I saw him, all the other cats were roaming around the shelter, but Crusty was alone in a cage. Sad, defeated, and with these haunting black eyes," Alanna, 30, told Newsweek. "He looked like he'd completely given up. I knew I couldn't leave him there."
Crusty the cat is now around 9 years old, and is almost unrecognizable from when he was adopted in 2023.
"Initially, the shelter marked him as 'unadoptable' due to his health and age," Alanna explained. "But I showed up almost every day to advocate for him until they agreed to let me take him home."
A picture of Crusty the cat who was labeled "unadoptable" due to his age and health issues.
A picture of Crusty the cat who was labeled "unadoptable" due to his age and health issues.
@crustybeansters/TikTok
Crusty has chronic FHV or Feline Herpesvirus, the highly contagious condition which causes sneezing, nasal discharge, inflammation of the eyes and loss of appetite. This paired with his time in the shelter had left the cat dejected.
"He wasn't even grooming himself anymore. He'd stopped engaging with the world around him, just lying still, completely shut down. It was heartbreaking," Alanna said.
The shelter walked Alanna through how to give Crusty his medications, and she brought him home. It is here that his life really changed.
"From night one. He curled up and slept right on my chest, and that's been his spot ever since," she said. "He's a total Velcro cat—happiest when he's in my lap or taking long baths, which is extra special considering he wasn't even bathing when I met him."
Today, the ginger and white cat is almost unrecognizable from the shut-down feline in the shelter. "There's this deep bond that formed the moment he let his guard down—like he knew he was safe," Alanna said.
Pictures of Crusty now, living his best life in a loving home.
Pictures of Crusty now, living his best life in a loving home.
@crustybeansters/TikTok
Crusty's story has captured hearts online after Alanna shared a video on TikTok that now has more than 400,000 views. In the comments, people praised the owner for adopting the cat many had given up on.
"I'm so glad he gets to be loved forever," said one commenter. While another wrote: "Such a sweet brave boy. Thank you for adopting him and giving him a soft landing."
"I shared his story to encourage people to adopt senior and special-needs animals," Alanna said. "There's a deep kind of magic in watching a soul come back to life. I hope it inspires someone to take a chance on a cat like Crusty."
Crusty's life is about to get even more exciting as Alanna plans to take him and his two feline siblings on a road trip this winter to escape the Jersey cold. "He's earned his soft life, and now he's seeing the country—cuddled up in the backseat, of course," she said.
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