A Shelter Cat Reached Out to a Woman Dropping Off Donations

A woman stopped by the shelter to drop off a few things—one cat reached out, and it turned out to be fate.

Shelter cat Dobby reaches out from his cage, capturing the heart of a woman who came to donate supplies and ended up giving him a forever home. — Dobby aka Lenny
ExploitsValleySPCA

Dobby, a striking foster cat with chubby cheeks and soulful eyes, was known for being a total lovebug.

To help him find the perfect forever home, he was recently brought to the Exploits Valley SPCA.
“He’s the most lovable cat,” the shelter shared. “His foster mom said he’d be heartbroken in a shelter without someone to snuggle with all the time.”

He was a solid “ten out of ten”—the only thing missing was a family to call his own.

The very next day, Dobby crossed paths with a woman at the shelter—someone who hadn’t planned on adopting at all.

Sandra had recently said goodbye to Lucy, her beloved cat of 15 years. Still grieving but hoping to do something good in Lucy’s memory, she stopped by the shelter to donate some of her things. While there, she found herself wandering into the cat rooms.

“It was kind of a spontaneous thing,” Sandra said.

As Sandra walked into the last room, a mackerel tabby with big, soulful eyes and irresistibly chubby cheeks caught her attention.

“There was something about his sweet, expressive little face—it just spoke to me,” she said.

That cat was Dobby. He rubbed his face against the bars, clearly hoping she’d notice him.

“Something told me to pick him up,” Sandra recalled.

The second she picked him up, Dobby melted into her arms, resting his head on her shoulder like they’d known each other forever.

But the shelter was about to close, and Sandra had to leave. Still, she couldn’t get him off her mind.

“Fast forward 48 hours,” she said, “and he’s in my car, coming home for a weekend ‘trial.’”

“I wasn’t trying to replace Lucy,” Sandra said. “I just wanted to ease a bit of the quiet space she left behind—and this little sweetheart clearly needed a home. I knew I still had plenty of love to give.”

And Dobby? He didn’t waste a second settling in.

“Fifteen minutes after walking through the door, he was stretched out on the couch like he’d lived here his whole life.”

He is quite the biscuit maker
ExploitsValleySPCA

He wasted no time making himself at home—exploring every corner, kneading soft blankets like a pro, and claiming every cozy spot as his own. That first night, he followed Sandra to bed and curled up beside her, like it was something he’d done for years.

“I’ve gotten more head bops than I can count,” Sandra said. “He’s played hard all weekend.”

He follows his mom everywhere
ExploitsValleySPCA

With a full belly and a stash of fun new toys, Dobby was living his best life. But above all, he was completely smitten with Sandra—curling up beside her at every opportunity, soaking up all the love he could get.

“He adored everyone he met over the weekend,” Sandra said. “He really is just a little lover. In a nutshell, he’s perfect.”