A senior cat who went viral after her shelter shared that she was still looking for a forever home over a year on has found a new family.
While she was safe and well looked after at the shelter, she’s now able to enjoy the best cat treats and plenty of love in her forever home.
Lala was 11 years old when she was left in a crate on a busy street in front of the Humane Society of Greater Miami in Florida overnight in November 2023. The next morning, staff found her with a note attached to her carrier.
“Please give her a good home,” the note read. “She is nice and sweet. All she needs is love and food. She has been a part of our family for 11 years.”
Tiffany Hernandez, the organization’s assistant marketing and social media manager, told The Dodo, “She was in the dark in a carrier by herself – anything could have happened.”
When Lala first arrived at the shelter, it took her some time to adjust to the change and her new surroundings. But, even after almost 18 months, nobody came forward to adopt her – perhaps in part because she’s quite shy, so prospective cat parents weren’t always drawn to her first.
“She’s just very fearful in a shelter environment, unfortunately,” said Hernandez.
However, Lala’s shy demeanor disipates the more comfortable she gets with somebody, and a foster parent she recently stayed with reported that she became much more relaxed over her stay.
Last month, the shelter posted a video of Lala shortly after she arrived there on Instagram, writing, “She doesn’t know it yet but she’ll still be looking for a forever home after her family abandoned her in November 2023.”
They said at the time, “Let’s find Lala the home she deserves in the time she has left, whether that’s months or years. She still has so much love to give, and we want her to spend her days in a warm, cozy home – not in a shelter environment that doesn’t let her true personality shine.”
There was an outpouring of love on the post with one person who met Lala at the shelter writing, “Within a few minutes, I had her eating Temptations treats out of my hand, licking me and letting me give her cheek and head scratches.”
The video got a lot of attention, and the shelter added as a comment soon after: “AMAZING UPDATE: Lala has found her forever home!”
If you’d be interested in adopting a pet, volunteering with, or donating to the shelter, you can do so on their website.
If you’re considering adoption, here are 32 reasons to adopt a cat, and don’t forget to take a look at our tried and tested ways to help a rescue pet settle in, too
