Owner falls in love with bonded rescue cats—then realizes horrible mistake

A person excitedly awaiting news on their application to adopt two cats realized too late that they had made a major mistake.

Reddit user u/Future-Act5953 pleaded for help on r/cats in March as they worried they had “accidentally lied on an adoption application and now I’m panicking.”

When they spotted two cats up for adoption as a duo while at Petco, they “completely fell in love.”

“I called the rescue that has them, asked a bunch of questions, and ended up submitting an application. During that process, I confirmed (both on paper and over the phone) that my cat at home is neutered… because I genuinely believed he was,” they wrote.

“Well… we get home… and Tank hops in my lap and very clearly proves otherwise. Like… there is no question. This man is NOT neutered.”

In a post upvoted more than 16,000 times, they explained they already own an 11-month-old kitten Tank, who they received from an acquaintance and were “told he had all his shots and was neutered,” which they accepted as the truth.

They said they called the woman who gave them the cat, but after asking the question, they were immediately blocked. And while the poster said they “told [the shelter] as soon as I realized…I’m terrified they’re going to think I lied and deny my application.”

“I really, really love these cats and don’t want to lose the chance to adopt them over something I genuinely didn’t know,” they wrote, and pleaded: “Has anyone dealt with something like this before? Will this automatically disqualify me, or is there anything I can do to fix the situation?”

Reddit users flocked to the post to give their own two cents, with one reassuring the poster: “It’s really not a big deal. I’m sure they’ve seen it before & it was an honest mistake.”

“I’m sure everything will be okay as long as you follow everyone’s advice to get him neutered asap and explain the mistake to the adoption agency,” another said, and another admitted: “I was expecting this to be so much worse. Cats can be neutered at any age and will be fine.”

And another advised: “I’m glad you’re planning on getting him neutered asap! I doubt he’s had any vaccines either, so make sure to get those up to date. Also do a FIV/FeLV test at that time before introducing the new cats to ensure your boy doesn’t already have a transmissible disease that could put the new cats’ lives at risk.”

The poster, who asked to remain anonymous, told Newsweek that they were “in shock” at the massive response to their post and shared that unfortunately, their application to adopt the duo was denied, which at first left them “pretty heartbroken.”

“I haven’t checked yet to see if they’ve been adopted, but I really hope they’ve found a loving home,” they said.

But it’s not all bad news, as they revealed the shelter “encouraged me to reapply,” and would work with them to find an animal that suits their living arrangements, as they live on a “military installation.”

And as for Tank, they said he is “doing well” and was scheduled to be neutered on April 1, which they joked “feels like a very unfortunate April Fools’ coincidence.”

Spaying and neutering cats is important, as it prevents unwanted litters and minimizes roaming and territorial behaviors, as well as reducing the risk of certain illnesses, according to Purina.

Neutered cats are less likely to stray and to spray urine to mark their territory, and are at a reduced risk of contracting diseases like feline leukaemia, FIV, uterine infections, and mammary cancers.

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