My name? Well, no one ever gave me one that stuck. Some call me “that scruffy cat,” others just pass me by without a word. I’ve been living in this shelter for what feels like forever. Day after day, I sit in the corner of my cold cage, watching people walk past. Their eyes scan the rows of kittens and fluffy tails—but when they reach me, their smiles fade, and they move on.
I’m not beautiful. I know that. My fur is patchy from old wounds, and one of my ears is torn from the days I fought just to survive on the street. My eyes—one is cloudy, a scar from an infection that was never treated. I’ve seen my reflection. I look… broken.
But inside, I’m not. Inside, I remember warmth. I remember curling up next to my mama when I was just a tiny ball of fur. I remember the feeling of purring as I drifted off to sleep, knowing someone loved me. That was a long time ago, before I was abandoned, before hunger and fear became my daily companions.
Sometimes I ask myself, “Am I too ugly to be loved by anyone?” Is that why no one chooses me? Is that why, even on adoption days, when people clap and cheer for the cute kittens, I stay behind—unwanted, forgotten?
But even though I may not be pretty, I have love to give. So much love. When the volunteers clean my cage, I press my head against their hands, hoping for a few seconds of affection. I purr loudly, maybe too loudly, just trying to remind them that I’m still here. Still waiting.
I dream of someone who will look past my scars and see my heart. Someone who will notice how gently I reach out my paw when I’m curious, how I try to meow even though my voice is hoarse from years of silence. I dream of a home—not perfect, just a place where I’m wanted.
So here I am, curled up in the corner again, wondering if maybe today is the day someone will see me. Not for what I look like, but for who I am. A cat who has survived the worst and is still hoping for the best.
I may not be beautiful on the outside, but I promise—if you choose me, I will love you with everything I have left.
Because even the “ugliest” of us deserve to be loved.
