Last September, the ASPCA assisted with the removal of over 100 cats from a self-described animal rescue organization in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. The cats were found living in unsanitary conditions, and many appeared to suffer from untreated medical conditions.

One of those cats was Torrance, a handsome brown tabby who had severe eye abnormalities in his right eye. Following their removal, he and most of the other cats were transported to the ASPCA Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) in Columbus, Ohio. The CRC is a facility dedicated to providing temporary sheltering, medical care and behavioral treatment and enrichment to animals rescued from suspected cruelty cases, natural disasters and other emergency situations.

The CRC’s medical team gave Torrance the care he critically needed, which included an enucleation of his painful eye and dental extractions of diseased teeth. Once recovered, he was ready to find the loving home he deserved. The ASPCA Centralized Placement program stepped in to help facilitate that next step.

In December, Torrance was accepted by one of our placement partners, the Greenville Humane Society in South Carolina, where he would have a better chance of adoption. The Relocation team transported him and one other cat from the same case on New Year’s Eve. On another vehicle, four dogs also headed to Greenville, for a total of six animals transported that same day toward new beginnings.

“The Greenville Humane Society has been a great partner to work with, and they’ve accepted 99 animals from us since the end of 2023,” says Jasmine Holsinger, Senior Manager of Placement Partnerships.

One Step at a Time

In February, John H. and his wife, Oksana K., visited the Greenville Humane Society to see their adoptable cats. He had recently closed a deal for his business, and to celebrate, they wanted to invite a new cat into their home.

“We looked at all the cute kittens and all the other cats there, and then we saw Torrance,” John says. “He was in the corner of the cage, just looking at us with his one eye and we fell in love with him at that moment.”

John and Oksana knew that an older cat with a missing eye and a few teeth removed might have a hard time finding an adopter. With that in mind, he was their first choice.

When Torrance first arrived in their home, it seemed clear to them that he had suffered from some level of abuse, as he spent much of his time hiding. For the first month, they set up a home base for him in the bedroom closet he preferred to stay in. They put a litter box, water and food in there with him. John also has a computer in the bedroom, and Torrance would eventually come out and take a look around while he was working on it.

They brought him some cat toys and catnip, but he didn’t show interest in playing. “I don’t think he even knew how to play with toys,” John says. “We just took our time with him.”

John was also always sure to be considerate around Torrance’s eyesight. “With half of his vision gone, I make sure to approach him from the side where his eye is,” John says. Even after greeting Torrance, he can still get startled, so John tries to stay where he can see best.

There are five other cats in the home, and little by little, the other cats also came by to visit Torrance during his transition into the home. That was the key to him finally starting to explore outside of the closet. It took a few weeks for him to begin settling in, but he finally began showing his true colors.

He even found a toy that he likes, one with a bell inside!

“Torrance will juggle it from one end of the closet to the other,” John says. “It just makes me happy to see him playing because I don't know if he's had toys before.”

Patience and Understanding

These days, Torrance has shown wonderful improvement and begun to show off his sweet, affectionate personality. He still enjoys spending his time in his favorite closet, but he’s happy to see his new best friends, too.

“I'll take about three times out of the day to just go sit with him, talk with him and brush him,” John says. “He loves to be brushed. I literally just hold the brush, and he just walks back and forth against it!”

When the other cats are around, Torrance does follow them around now, too. He has gotten along with one of the other cats particularly well — Gus. Little Gus was originally found on the side of the road when he was a very young kitten, and he is still a young, smaller cat. The two of them will play together and chase each other, which John has been delighted to see. Torrance even chases Gus back!

Torrance with his new cat brother and best buddy, Gus.

He especially enjoys exploring the house more at night when things are quieter, taking one step at a time. “Almost every night when we're getting close to go to bed, he'll go for an adventure,” John says. “He'll just go around the house, and if he gets started, he'll just run back.”

Over the last few weeks, he has continued to show signs of growth regularly. Even small cat behaviors that might be taken for granted.

“He has finally looked out the window, which to me was an important milestone for him,” John says. Torrance happily sits on the sill of the window and keeps an eye on the neighborhood birds. “I absolutely never want to bother him when he’s on the windowsill — I just want him to enjoy that experience.”

Finding Gratitude

Adopting Torrance has been an incredibly rewarding experience for John, who feels that he has gained a lot of perspective on life these past few months. “I think we, as humans, have so many things to complain about,” John says. “But really, I'm more grateful for things in general now.”

The time that John has spent with Torrance has been beneficial for them both, as Torrance is enjoying soaking up all the attention. He may just stare at John and contentedly purr, or he’ll zigzag in front of John to get pets. All of that affection goes both ways.

“I used to be a dog guy, but just seeing these cats — they're funny and bring a certain joy,” John says. “Torrance is just the sweetest guy, and he's just made me more grateful for everything.”

Now that John has adopted a few cats of his own, he enthusiastically encourages others to do the same and plans to continue supporting the Greenville Humane Society however he can.

“Cats are really simple. Food and litter — there's not much to it,” John says. “It doesn't cost that much, and it's a life. To us, it doesn't matter if it's a turtle, a human, a horse or a cat. That's still a life, and they have feelings too.”

June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, which is a wonderful time to consider adopting cats just like Torrance. All across the country, shelters see an increase in cat and kitten populations during the summer months, also known as “kitten season.” Whether you’re looking for a feline companion of your own or just want to help vulnerable feline friends, you can learn more by visiting aspca.org/catmonth!