A little cat walked up to a visitor at the shelter and gave him a lick. "I took that as a sign that we made a match."
Arlo the cat came to the Cats Protection's Bridgend Adoption Centre (in South Wales) for a chance at a better life. He was born with a few birth defects. Despite it all, the tabby never let anything stop him and just wanted to be loved.
"Arlo is an absolute sweetheart, and he's charmed all the staff at the centre," Sue Dobbs, Manager of Cats Protection's Bridgend Adoption Centre, said.
"He may look a bit different from other cats, but he's got a lot of love to give, and is full of fun and mischief."
The kitty has hydrocephalus (a build-up of fluid in the brain), which gives him his misshapen head.
After a thorough vet check, the tabby was deemed healthy. To ensure the best quality of life, staff hoped to find him the perfect family that would cater to his every need.
"Arlo is such a lovely cat and deserves a happy and loving home."
Around that time, Davy, a social worker for children with disabilities, had been contemplating about sharing his home with a feline friend.
"I live alone in a little rural cottage and thought it would be ideal for an older cat. But my friends began to tag me in posts from Cats Protection, about this little cat with additional needs," Davy told Love Meow.
"They felt that I should at least visit him and see what I thought. So I looked, and it was Arlo."
Davy arranged for a visit at the shelter with the tabby who had just turned one year old. Arlo was a bit shy and nervous around people, but when he and Davy met, they instantly connected.
"He approached and gave me a lick, and I took that as a sign that we made a match," Davy told Love Meow. "Just the first glance of him made me fall in love."
Arlo went to his new home and quickly found his favorite spot on Davy's lap. The shy kitty started to come out of his shell and really enjoyed being cuddled.
"He's very shy and nervous still, and doesn't like loud noises. But he's so loving," Davy told Love Meow. "His personality is amazing. He's such a character."
Watch Arlo in this cute video:
At his first vet visit after adoption, Arlo hugged every staff member he met — he was very brave that day.
Over the next several months, the kitty really blossomed.
He loves chasing his human dad up the stairs or racing him to the bed.
When he finds Davy's slippers, he will drag them into his basket and nuzzle into them.
After lounging in the window, watching the fish zooming around the aquarium, he goes right to his human dad for a well earned nap and cuddle.
Every morning, Davy wakes up to his buddy rumbling with his adorable purrs — the perfect way to start the day.
Arlo has grown to be a handsome cat. He is loving his VIP life at the home he always wanted.
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