A social media video chronicling how a rescue cat who had lost all her kittens, ended up on the euthanasia list before being adopted has both devastated and uplifted viewers across the internet.

The emotional video, which had been shared to TikTok by @RescueCatMittens, revealed that the cat—now named Callie—had been placed on the euthanasia list after showing “severe” signs of aggression. It later became clear to those investigating the case that the cat had only been reacting aggressively to situations because she was suffering from grief and emotional pain over the loss of her babies.

TikTok – Make Your Day

“All she ever wanted was to be a mom,” the video’s creator wrote in the post, before explaining that the adopted cat loved treating their newborn child like a kitten.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 920,000 rescue shelter animals are euthanized per year. This figure includes around 530,000 cats.

The number of dogs and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has steadily declined in recent years, from approximately 2.6 million in 2011.

“This decline can be partially explained by an increase in the percentage of animals adopted and an increase in the number of stray animals successfully returned to their owners,” the ASPCA added on its website.

While cases vary, many suffering animals in the U.S. are euthanized for the sole purpose of being freed of pain, when a veterinarian and owner have decided that the pet is unlikely to make a recovery.

“We adopted a cat on the euthanasia list for severe aggression. She had lost her babies and was extremely heartbroken,” the video’s creator shared in the post.

“Ever since our daughter was born, Callie treated her like a kitten.”

“Her favorite time of the day is when our daughter wakes up from her nap. She was only aggressive because she was grieving,” they added.

The creator has shared in the TikTok profile’s bio that they own seven cats, with six of them being rescues.

What Do The Comments Say?

Since it was shared to the social media platform on September 7 by @RescueCatMittens, the TikTok post has been liked by over 460,000 users and commented on more than 2,000 times.

“Your daughter is her rainbow baby,” one user wrote.

Another user added: “I’ve never known a cat to ever do anything wrong.”

The TikTok post can be seen here.

Source: MELISSA FLEUR AFSHAR / newsweek 90