The internet has been left in tears after watching the remarkable transformation of a cat who was rescued from a hoarder’s house.
The footage documents S’mores’ journey, highlighting his start as “blind and abandoned in an awful situation.” It then transitions to uplifting clips of the cat playing in his new home, with text overlaid stating he is “so loved in his new forever home.”
Animal rescue group Puppy Kitty NYC shared the tear-jerking clip to their TikTok account @puppykittynyc. Viewers see a team of rescuers wearing white protective coveralls remove the door to the apartment, which they discover is crowded with items—so it’s no surprise that the seven-year-old cat was found under the person’s belongings.
Newsweek spoke to Meagan Licari, 39, president of Puppy Kitty NYC, who said: “Unfortunately, hoarding cases are super common.”
Licari explained that the organization found out about S’mores and other cats at the property through a local rescue team. According to The Animal Humane Society (AHS) around 250,000 animals are victims of hoarding per year. The reason behind hoarding is hard to pinpoint but it is often down to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
It is often misunderstood by the public as malicious or evil, but it is rarely so, reports AHS. Both law enforcement and mental health professionals are increasingly recognizing the need for a more empathetic and less judgmental approach to hoarding.
Viewing it as a psychiatric illness allows for more effective treatment and reduces the likelihood of recurrence, ultimately benefiting the animals involved.
A study by Mississippi State University found that pet owners with hoarding tendencies risk their own well-being and that of their animals. Research indicated that households with eight or more pets showed worse health outcomes for both humans and animals.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, aims to develop ways to screen for animal hoarding and connect individuals with mental health services.
In this case, S’mores, a domestic short hair, was found in an awful condition as his eyes were “bulging out of his head.” The video—and pictures below—contains a clip that some users may find upsetting as the cat’s eyes are abnormally enlarged.
It is unclear what happened to S’mores’ eyes but Cats Protection, a UK-based charity, says that bacterial infections, parasites, and irritants like dust and injuries are just a few of the possible causes for eye problems.
Vets were left with no choice but to remove S’mores’ other eye, but that hasn’t stopped him from finding a forever home.
The video of his progress, shared on June 12, has amassed over 26,000 views and almost 4,000 likes. The montage of clips ends with S’mores playing in his new home and enjoying head scratches.
“My jaw dropped when I saw the first kitty. Thank you for rescuing them!” said one user.
Another said: “Yay for happy endings. Thank you for the important life saving work you do!”
“I love him, so happy he is safe!” said a third commenter.
Other comments include crying emojis and love hearts.