When this poor cat was dropped off in the middle of nowhere by his owners he was sad and heartbroken. He was determined to make it all the way back home to them. So he walked the grueling 12 miles to reach their home only to be met with a terrible reaction. This heartbreaking story about one determined cat will leave you feeling all sorts of emotions.
20. Toby
Meet Toby, a 7-year-old ginger cat that is too adorable for words. One day, Toby’s owners decided that they no longer wanted him around. So they decided to drop him off in the middle of nowhere. What the cat did next will leave you in awe!
19. 12 Miles Away
The owners drove approximately 12 miles away from their home to abandon Toby. They wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t find his way back. However, Toby had other plans.
18. Homesick
Once he was dropped off, Toby was completely homesick. All he wanted was to be back home in a place that he recognized. So Toby decided that he would trek the entire 12 miles all the way back home. So did he make it?!
17. The Journey
Surprisingly enough, Toby made the entire 12 mile journey and ended up right in front of his owner’s front door. He missed them all so much and he was sure that they would be excited to see him again. However, their actual reaction was not what he expected.
16. Doorstep
Once the owners realized that Toby had made it back all the way to their front door they were in shock. However, it wasn’t a happy shock at all and all they wanted to do was find out a new way to get rid of him. So that’s exactly what they did.
15. Shelter
“They took him to a shelter and asked them to euthanize him,” Tara Lynn, communications director for the SPCA of Wake County, told The Dodo. “It was just so heartbreaking to know he made it all the way back to his family, and that was their response.”
14. Refused
The shelter refused to put Toby down. Instead, they ended up contacting the SPCA of Wake County, a no-kill shelter in Raleigh, North Carolina. They asked the shelter if they could take Toby in and find him a permanent home to which they promptly responded, “Yes!”
13. Medical Care
Once the sweet cat was under the care of the SPCA, they made sure that he got the medical treatment that he needed in order to be put up for adoption. There was some bad news with his health after the vet got done with his check-up…
12. Testing Positive
“He tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus, and also had an upper respiratory infection,” Lynn said. “We got him treated for the infection, which took a little while.” While he was healing, Toby became acquainted with the shelter staff.
11. Friendly
Everyone at the shelter immediately fell in love with Toby. Staff at the shelter described him as a “cuddly boy with lots of love to go around.” He was eager to be pet and to be doted on!
10. Very Sweet
“He was very friendly,” Lynn said. “Just your sweet, typical cat — they want to get love and to love you.” Finally, it came time for Toby to be put on the market for adoption. So the shelter made a social media post about him!
9. Tons of Requests
Once the shelter posted about Toby the requests for him started to pour in. He was just so adorable that everyone wanted a chance to adopt him. However, one woman in particular named Michele Puckett actually took the time out to head over to the shelter and meet Toby in person.
8. No Hesitation
“She had no hesitation whatsoever,” Lynn said about Puckett. “She was on a job site and just dropped everything to come here.” Michele couldn’t wait to meet the sweet cat that she knew she just had to adopt!
7. Adopted
Toby was officially adopted by Michele right after their meeting. She was excited to bring him home and couldn’t wait for him to meet the rest of the family! So how big of a family was Toby going to be joining?
6. New Family
Michele was bringing Toby into quite a big family environment. Toby was greeted by two new cat siblings and two human siblings. It didn’t take long for him to get settled in and comfortable with the family.
5. Cuddly
“He is just so sweet, cuddly and loving,” Puckett told The Dodo. “He’s also pretty much taken over our bed, as if he’s lived here forever. He loves to relax and lay under our pillows.”
4. Sad Thoughts
With Toby’s sweet nature and cuddly personality, Michele has had a hard time wrapping her head around the previous owner’s actions. She just can’t believe how callous they were with their decision making and it saddens her to think about it.
3. Grateful
“It’s really hard to understand how someone could have dropped him off to be put to death like they did,” she said. “It’s shocking, but we feel so grateful he was saved.”
2. Inspiration
Lynn has also had a hard time grasping the situation but hopes that Toby will serve as an inspiration to all. She really hopes that more people will step up to adopt animals that are in the shelters. After all, they deserve love too!
1. Go Out & Adopt
“There are tons of pets who are easily discarded by their families or a breeder,” Lynn said. “I really hope he inspires other people to go out and adopt.”