Disabled Rescue Cat Returned to Chicago Animal Shelter After 6 Years of Adoption Is Positively Heartbroken

Working at an animal shelter can be an emotionally taxing job, but watching rescue pets go home with their forever families makes the difficult moments worthwhile. Even so, it never gets easier when a pet who's been in rescue before comes back to the shelter years later. It may sound like a horrible nightmare come to life, but for some rescue pets like Stella, it's their heartbreaking reality.

NAWS Chicago employee @franflight was stunned to see calico cat Stella again after six years of adoption. Sadly, she was surrendered after becoming overwhelmed by the kids in her home, and she wasn't handling the change well. All she wanted to do was disappear!

@franflight

UPDATE IS POSTED FOR OUR SWEET STELLA GIRL! I LOVE YOU GUYS WITH ALL OF MY HEART Our sweet little Stella is unfortunately back with us. It's hard for us to know Stella's true personality right now, but we believe she would do best in a quiet/calm home with other chill cats. Stella hasn't been officially posted for adoption since she hasn't been medically cleared, but you can still apply to adopt her at nawsus.org by submitting a generic cat adoption application. She currently isn't on any medications for her eyes, but we recommend that whoever adopts her follows up with an eye specialist on a regular basis to make sure she continues to feel comfortable. Let's get this girl adopted, i'm sending you all so much love. #adopt#adoptdontshop#cat#catsoftiktok#catlover

scott street x i know the end - 𝘿𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙑𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨

Stella's sulking makes me want to cry! This sweet girl gave her family six years of love and loyalty, and in return, they gave up on her. It's a small consolation to know she has a friend like Fran to console her, but nothing will feel better than hearing her adoption news soon enough.

It doesn't take an expert to see just how depressed this shelter cat is to be back. Just like @misssimg commented: "You can tell she's broken-hearted."

Related: Heartbroken 2-Year-Old Shelter Dog Returned by Her Foster Just Wants To Be Loved

"After 6 years, my kids would be up for adoption," viewer @chilly_avocado angrily joked. Although we don't know the whole story surrounding Stella's surrender, it's extremely disappointing that her family was unwilling to work with Stella and their kids to find a solution that left everyone feeling happy.

The silver lining is that Fran gets to help find Stella a family that's dedicated to her for life. This sad kitty may feel shut down now, but it won't be long until she meets someone who thinks she's perfect, eyelid agenesis and all. She may look a little different, but she has just as much love to give as any other cat!

A Rescue Cat's Forever Home

After inquiring about adopting the rescue cat, @omerqawi updated the worried viewers. He "filled out the application a minute ago. She is on medical hold until the 25th of this month, and they will make a decision after that if she is ready for adoption or not."

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The medical clearance process will allow NAWS to reassess her eye and any treatment it may require. Her adopter will learn about any specialized care she may need in her forever home, so she'll be all set to begin her new lease on life feeling happier and healthier than ever before!

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 4:45 PM.