Cats
Animal shelter posts ad for ‘World’s Worst Cat’ & her interests are hysterical
She's not for the faint of heart...
Kristin Danley-Greiner
02.19.20
Most animal shelters craft the perfect prose for adopting out their residents who desperately seek a forever family. The descriptions of the animals available for adoption are written to entice potential pet owners into falling in love with every critter in the hopes they’ll pop by the shelter for a visit, fall in love and then go home with one of the cutie pies.
But shelter staff at the Mitchell County Animal Shelter struggled with what to write for Perdita, a female domestic shorthair mix who had arrived at the North Carolina shelter after her owner died.
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Source:
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Many pets in that same position are difficult to adopt because they’re in mourning. Some are able to turn their melancholy moods around quickly and be ready for adoption, but some fall into a deep funk and can’t surface.

Their lives had drastically changed due to the death of a loved one and these poor pets had no idea why. All he or she knows is that their loved one is gone.

Shelter staff realized right away that Perdita was brokenhearted. But after a bit, they started to think that maybe Perdita was broken. She didn’t seem to be quite right and they wondered if she was a bit nutty with a grumpy personality to boot.
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Source:
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
They decided to be completely forthright and honest with potential adopters rather than have Perdita go home with a family only to be returned to the shelter where her heart would break all over again. So for the information they wrote about Perdita, they labeled her the “World’s Worst Cat” and didn’t stop there.
“Meet Perdita. Not for the faint of heart.”
Intrigued, potential adopters continued to read about the vindictive yet beautiful cat. The shelter listed Perdita’s likes as:
  • Staring into your soul until you feel as if you may never be cheerful again;
  • the song Cat Scratch Fever
  • the movie Pet Cemetery (Church is her hero)
  • jump scares (her specialty)
  • lurking in dark corners
  • being queen of her domicile
  • fooling shelter staff into thinking she’s sick (vet agrees … she’s just a jerk)
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Source:
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Her list of dislikes shared by shelter staff happen to be quite funny, too:
  • the color pink
  • kittens (yuk they are so chipper)
  • dogs
  • children
  • the Dixie Chicks
  • Disney movies’
  • Christmas … and last but NOT least
  • HUGS
“She’s single and ready to be socially awkward with a socially awkward human who understands personal space. FREE ADOPTION.”

The response to Perdita’s clever and truthful adoption listing drew 175 applicants and resulted in countless articles being written about the frumpy feline all around the world.

Shelter staff narrowed down the search for the top 10, conducted interviews, checked references and brought together potential parents with Perdita. They said the decision was difficult because there were “so many very qualified applicants.”
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Source:
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
It also didn’t take terribly long before Perdita was adopted. While she waited, she officially commanded the shelter’s office.
“She sits where she pleases and growls at anyone who may want their chair back. Yesterday we offered her a little catnip and she slapped the bag out of Brittany’s hand and got catnip all over her. Then she rolled in it and LOVED it. She also climbed in a box too small for her and waited patiently for someone to ship her to her new home.”
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Source:
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Shelter staff shared on Facebook that they were actually sad to see her go.
“We have loved getting to know her and watching her come out of her slappy shell. Today she went to her forever home with Joe and Betty from Monroe County, Tenn. They adore her and she tolerates them. She wouldn’t let us take adoption photos in our photo booth, she just growled and ran out of the room. She was in a hurry to get home where she will have her own private bedroom to stay in until she is ready to transition to the rest of the home. Then she will have access to the many catwalks, indoor cat trees, enclosed cattery and cat pond. Seriously, I want to live there. Joe and Betty have decided to change her name to Noel, just in case the name Perdita is the cause of her anger. (We can’t blame them for that!)”
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Source:
Facebook/Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Because of Noel a.k.a. Perdita’s newfound fame, the compassionate Tennessee couple created an Instagram page @perditas_journey where everyone can check out her new journey and see if she mellows maybe just a bit.
We wish Noel and her new family many years of happiness and catnip!

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