'Feral' cat turns into a purring cuddlebug when he experiences love for the first time

Joey, a disabled cat born with a congenital defect, was dropped off at a shelter as a stray. But luckily, that's when Grace, a cat rescuer (@kittyboyandfriends on Instagram), stepped in, adopting the two-legged feline and giving him the life he deserved. Surprisingly, Joey, who was once called "feral and aggressive," transformed almost immediately when he experienced love.

Joey was born with a birth defect where, instead of front legs, the poor baby had just two little nubs. But when he had lost all hope of finding a forever home, Grace, the kind woman, adopted him, despite the shelter's warning about his violent nature. Besides, they had also assumed that Joey, being a feral, would never be able to live in a house. But little did the shelter know that love could make all the difference in this furbaby's life. "At first, he was absolutely terrified of everything. But with time, patience, and lots of love, he started to open up," Grace said.

"He’s still a little shy and easily spooked, but as you can see… he’s come a long way," she added, sharing glimpses of Joey, the apparent wild cat, being a total cuddleball with his mommy-dearest. Well, in a heartfelt video, Grace captured how Joey crawls up the bed every night as she lies down to rest, demanding cuddles. One look at the innocent cat, and you would know how much he had longed for genuine companionship. "He lives for love, and I feel so lucky he picked me as his human," she shared in the caption.

Joey, a former stray, had spent most of his life on the street, which means he was constantly exposed to deadly situations. This is perhaps why he must have developed what Pet MD says is "fear aggression." The report suggests that fear-based aggression may develop when a feline has an unpleasant experience and further develops a negative association with it. Now, Joey might have had an unpleasant experience with humans, which made him repulsive towards them, but everything changed when he found Grace.

Meanwhile, reacting to the video, a user who goes by @leeighfhair commented, "Joey is my all-time fave kitty. If angels had cat faces and personalities, it would be Joey's." Another user, @miezos_mom, said, "Aggressive behavior is usually driven by fear. Joey feels safe with you, so poof, whatever aggression there may have been is gone. He‘s the sweetest boy with the sweetest face." @shaunalomax revealed, "We were also told our tortie point Siamese cat, Maya, was 'feral and aggressive,' and they were shocked when she walked right up to my husband when we met her. She’s the sweetest, gentlest girl, just nervous and misunderstood!"

On the other hand, @d said, "Just aggressive affection. With my first cat, I was also told he might never lose his semi-feral nature. It took him all of two days to feel safe and decide he could sleep on top of me all the time. 5 years later, he still won't give me an inch of space." Echoing the sentiments, @natnatp2013 shared, "He is such a sweetheart, Oh my goodness. We also adopted a quarantined 'aggressive,' barely 6-week-old kitten, & he is the sweetest little cat. He brings joy to everyone who interacts with him. Lol, it's funny how these labels are so inaccurate sometimes. It goes to show it's worth exploring everything & not taking everything at face value. Trust your gut!"

You can follow Grace | Cat Rescuer (@kittyboyandfriends) on Instagram for more cat-related content.