Back in 2019, a family in West Cornwall, Connecticut, adopted a kitten named Ming from The Little Guild. Seven years later, they moved into a senior community and were forced to surrender Ming.
Ming returned to the shelter with a pair of his dad's shoes.
Ming’s family explained to the staff members that the shoes were the cat’s favorite, but the shelter workers were a bit skeptical.
“[T]hey brought a pair of shoes that were the husband’s shoes, and they were like, ‘Oh, he’s obsessed with these shoes,’” Kassidy Humphrey, animal care coordinator at The Little Guild, told The Dodo. “And we were like, ‘OK, sure.’”
But it turned out that Ming really did love the shoes. The staff set them up in Ming’s kennel, and he immediately buried his face in them. As the cat continued adjusting to his new environment, the shoes brought him comfort.
“He was rolling in them, and they probably smelled like the owner, too,” Humphrey said.
Despite everything Ming had been through, he was a deeply affectionate cat. The shelter staff enjoyed getting to know him as he revealed his personality more and more each day.
“He’s an older guy, so he really liked snuggling, he liked being with us, hanging out,” Humphrey said. “He was very, very sweet.”
Because Ming was 7 years old, The Little Guild staff worried that adopters, who tend to prefer kittens, wouldn’t take an interest in him. But not too long after Ming arrived, an older gentleman came into the shelter and took an interest in Ming.
“[He’d] just lost his cat, and I believe his cat was 23 years old,” Humphrey said. “He was really missing that companionship.”
The man quickly fell in love with Ming and decided to adopt him. Amazingly, Ming only ended up spending about a month in the shelter.
Ming was understandably a little nervous when he first arrived at his new home. He spent a few weeks hiding behind the couch, but once he realized he was safe, he and his new dad became inseparable.
Everyone at The Little Guild is overjoyed that they were able to help Ming find a great new setup. His new dad is helping him heal, and he’s bringing light to his new dad’s life as well.
“He’s so happy that he has the companionship with him and a friend to hang out with,” Humphrey said.
