Couple Adopts ‘Depressed’ Cat Fishtopher After Seeing Viral Tweet

• Fishtopher the “depressed” cat went viral after a Twitter consumer shared screenshots of his Petfinder profile.
• A Baltimore couple informed Insider they drove two hrs and waited in the chilly to adopt him.
• Now they’re utilizing his social media level of popularity to deliver attention to other shelter animals.

Fishtoper the cat’s journey to his new residence commenced with a tweet.

On Thursday, Twitter user @MollyClarke shared a screenshot of a Petfinder listing from Homeward Sure Pet Adoption Heart in Blackwood, New Jersey. The listing highlighted a photograph of a huge cat explained as “quite unhappy and frustrated” and “out of kinds” at the shelter.

—Molly Clarke (@mollyaclarke) November 24, 2022

The tweet blew up above Thanksgiving, with 168,000 likes and in excess of 21,000 retweets as of Sunday. Social media customers replied with encouragement and pics of their possess rescue cats, hoping someone would adopt Fishtopher.

1 of the men and women who noticed the downcast feline on-line was Laura Folts, a 22-12 months-old dwelling in Baltimore, Maryland. Folts explained to Insider that she and her boyfriend, 24-yr-aged Tanner Callahan, beforehand talked about adopting a pet, so she jokingly sent the tweet to him on a whim. Tiny did she know, Callahan submitted an application — and promptly read again from the shelter.

The few drove from Baltimore to Blackwood on Saturday, leaving around 8 a.m. and arriving at Homeward Certain all-around 10 a.m., an hour right before the center opened. Folts realized that other individuals would occur to fulfill Fishtopher, so they waited in the chilly to be first in line. Their efforts paid off.

“I think a good deal of folks came in wanting to see him. And of the group of the initial 10 folks that have been there at open up, about 8 or 9 of them had been there to see Fishtopher. And so they all obtained to pet him,” she said. “But we ended up the fortunate ones to acquire him household.”

Folts and Callahan mentioned Homeward Sure informed them they received hundreds of inquiries about Fishtopher, with some traveling from California and the United Arab Emirates.

Soon after a auto experience highlighted by a pitstop for cat food items and cuddles, Fishtopher moved into Callahan’s house. The few suggests that despite the fact that he is produced a handful of hideouts for himself, he is changing to his new room effectively.

Fishtopher examined constructive for feline immunodeficiency virus in accordance to the pair, which the Cornell Feline Well being Centre describes as a frequent disorder that attacks a cat’s immune system. According to the center, FIV affects wherever from 2.5 to five percent of in any other case healthier cats in North The united states.

Irrespective of his wellbeing setback, Fishtopher’s new house owners say he’s a heat, affectionate pet who loves people.

—heat miser🔥 (@honkinn) November 26, 2022

Folts commenced documenting the cat’s new daily life with photographs on her individual Twitter web site, and in addition, created a Twitter and Instagram account in his title. Both of those of Fisthtopher’s social media accounts previously have a lot more than 13,000 followers as of Sunday, which Folts reported arrived as a shock to her.

“It truly is been really heartwarming how a ton of individuals are like, ‘You could inform how substantially happier he is,'” she reported.

Now that Fishtopher has a system, Folts and Callahan say they want to provide attention to other animals in require. Folts frequently retweets pictures and listings for shelter animals, and she mentioned she hopes the persons who retained up with Fishtopher — and acquired him merchandise from a tiny would like list — will detect.

“I seriously hope folks preserve the similar energy for other cats just for the reason that he is pretty exceptional in his seem,” she stated. “But also you will find other cats that are just as special and unique that will need households and also cash … People today needed to mail us income for foods or just give us funds mainly because we adopted him. And I’m just like, ‘No, do not. Give it to other cats who don’t have a house ideal now.'”

Homeward Bound’s executive director Lysa Boston advised Insider that the centre is now more than capacity and she hopes some others will be encouraged by Fishtopher’s tale.

“We are thrilled with all the interest that he received and hope that it will make people comprehend that we have so numerous great cats and pet dogs as properly up for adoption that are so frequently missed,” she mentioned.