Cat 'Abandoned' by at Least Three Former Owners Finally Finds Forever Home

A social media video that chronicles a senior cat's transformation after being rescued and rehabilitated has melted hearts across the internet.

The viral video, which has been viewed more than 198,000 times since it was first posted to Instagram in January, introduced viewers to a cat called Violet, who is now deceased, and shared her backstory.

In the post, Kelly Graffin, Violet's final owner, said the cat's previous owners "abused and abandoned her."

"She had at least three previous owners that all abandoned her," Graffin said, adding, "One even poured acid in her eyes."

"She was 13 with CKD," the post continued, referring to chronic kidney disease, "and stage four with renal failure."

"Now she's 15 still thriving," the post said.

Graffin included a document in the video that showed the cat had been relinquished on more than one occasion—once because the owners were moving and couldn't bring Violet with them.

"Violet's story is one of resilience," Graffin told Newsweek.

She continued: "We found her at Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden, Colorado. We were looking to expand our fur family and wanted an older lady because the younger the cat, the quicker they are adopted. Wanting to give a good end-of-life to one cat that didn't deserve to be in a shelter became real when we met Violet. She was 13 years old and had been abandoned multiple times.

"She had even been abused and neglected by having acid thrown into her eyes, and she also had renal failure. We knew that we had to give her the best end-of-life filled with love. The rescue even waived all her fees for us. We took her home the next day."

Graffin said she and her family wasted no time in researching how to make Violet feel more comfortable. Because of Violet's renal failure, they initially thought they'd have only a few months with her.

However, with a change of diet, medication, love and holistic medicine, Violet gained weight and her "energy came back." Ultimately, the family spent two years with her, the owner said.

"She defied every odd," she continued, adding, "Senior babies deserve to spend their final years in a loving home, not in a shelter or cage. We hope that Violet's story can help inspire others to pick senior babies over kitties."

"She passed December 29 in the mountains and surrounded by love. We find peace knowing she finally had a loving family and peace," Graffin said. "Perhaps even more senior cats will find homes with the help of viral content such as our video."

"A similar video inspired me two years ago to do the same, so it feels fitting to keep it going and help senior animals cross over with love," she added.

The Graffin family has also rescued twin senior cats named Sully and Bones.

What Do the Comments Say?

Instagram user @milehighmeowmunchies shared the video to the social media platform on January 20, and since then it has been liked by over 26,000 users and received over 500 comments. Many viewers have left praise for Graffin in the comments section, while others have mentioned their own experience adopting neglected animals.

"That's amazing, happy for her," one user wrote.

Another commented: "I am so sorry for your loss. I adopted Gillian when she was 3, she is now 10. Her previous owners kept her in a tiny closet with the door closed and no light for 3 years! I was ecstatic when I heard her previous owners were charged with animal abuse."

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