Rescue cat adopted from kill shelter after owner pleads for a 'second chance'

An Instagram clip of two rescue cats being adopted by a woman has gone viral, and the internet is in absolute awe of her kindness. The original video was uploaded by the owner, @closettcandyy, Jesse Whale, in collaboration with the dedicated Instagram account for the cats, @kingandmarcel. The video was posted on January 22, 2025, and instantly went viral, garnering over 1.3 million views and 127K likes. 

The overlaid text on the footage explained the journey of the rescue cats. Whale shared how on December 16, she adopted an 11-year-old cat, Marcel, who was rescued from a kill shelter in Montreal. He was found on the streets and labeled too unsocialable to be adopted, but luckily was sheltered by the Kingston Humane Society. Whale was also informed how Marcel might take up to 8 weeks to open up to her and his new environment, but to everyone's surprise, the cat immediately got comfortable.  

The owner shared, "He ate from my hand, gave me lots of slow blinks, let me get close enough to pet him, and even slept in my bed! From the beginning, he was gentle and friendly with Omar, my other senior rescue cat. And, proved to be a very playful, sociable boy, despite what the Montreal shelter had said." 

Whale further exclaimed that Marcel turned out to be more sociable than she had expected, and eventually, her other cat, Omar, could not keep up with him. She then decided that Marcel needed another buddy to play with. She proceeded to adopt another rescue cat from the same shelter, and this time, as well, they had deemed the canine to be too aggressive to be adopted. "His name is King, and I found him serendipitously at Pet Value, begging for attention behind the glass, as sweet as can be."

Whale shared how there was no aggression in sight, and King had effortlessly bonded with Marcel in no time. "And, they have been inseparable ever since." The caption of the post read, "Why have one rescue kitty when you can have three?" The owner further talks about the importance of adoption in the same caption, "There are countless animals in need of a second, third, or fourth chance at life and love. If you are looking for a forever animal, please adopt, don’t shop — and take a moment to consider the senior pets who deserve a home just as much as the young ones do."

Unfortunately, the fact that younger cats and kittens are preferred during adoption can't be denied. According to a statistical report by Humane World for Animals, while over 80% of kittens get adopted, the number decreases to just over 60% for adult cats. That's a bigger drop than we see with dogs; people are even more likely to pick a kitten over an adult cat than they are to pick a puppy over an adult dog. 

The heart-warming video attracted a lot of attention in the comment section as well, with many users sharing supportive and cheerful messages. @disturbedapparition wrote, "I wish shelters would stop labeling animals as 'aggressive' when they are just stressed out being in a shelter. My baby girl was deemed an aggressive cat also, but she is the sweetest baby!"

@proud_sarcastican opined, "It amazes me that people working in shelters believe the behavior they see over a few weeks in a stressful environment is the truth of a cat's personality." @mrsverleker wrote, "Our boy came to us at a similar age and it was the best decision." @sprinklethesiberian commented, "This is so sweet."

For more inspiring cat content, follow @closettcandyy on her Instagram account.