It’s no easy life for animals living on the streets, and one tabby cat named Bruce Willis is a testament to that.
It’s unclear how long he had been a stray, but from the looks of it, it seems like he has spent most of his life outside. Thankfully, someone had been kind enough to bring Bruce to the Animal Humane Society in Minnesota.
He arrived in the most terrible condition. He had chipped teeth and a healed eye injury. Worse, he also tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Bruce was a picture of an animal who has long endured a harsh life on the streets. His eyes said it all.
Because of this, he became known in the shelter as the feline with the “saddest eyes.”
Despite his rough appearance, Bruce was the sweetest cat. He would constantly purr when cuddled. Whenever he had visitors, the tabby would switch on his “purr motor,” as if he wanted everyone to know that this is all he wants – to be loved.
Knowing that Bruce needed to find a loving home as soon as possible, the shelter shared a photo of the cat on their Facebook page, hoping that someone would notice him and eventually adopt him.
“Bruce is the sweetest and most affectionate boy around. All cheeks and love, he will brighten every day you spend with him,” the shelter wrote.
As fate would have it, a woman named Sandra came across the picture on International Cat Day (August 8th). And it was love at first sight.
“When I saw his picture, it just spoke to my heart,” she told Love Meow.
Even if there was no way she could take Bruce home because her landlord didn’t allow pets, Sandra went and visited him. She couldn’t help but feel for the cat, especially when she saw his sad eyes.
Heartbroken, Sandra left the shelter and wished that someone with a kind heart would take Bruce soon. She couldn’t take the cat off her mind and kept checking the website every day to see if he already found a family.
When Sandra learned that Bruce contracted an upper respiratory infection, she visited him as soon as she could. And since she couldn’t take him home, she just kept going back to the shelter to see her new friend.
Sadly, a month has passed, and Bruce still hasn’t found a home. That’s when Sandra knew she had to do something.
“I sent a picture of him to my landlord (how can you say, no to those eyes) and I got permission to get him!” she said.
Finally, Sandra was able to adopt Bruce. Within the first minute of being in his new home, the cat immediately laid down on the floor and purred while stretching his limbs. Bruce knew he was finally home.
“He didn’t stop purring all night. Since that day, he’s been following me around no matter where I go,” Sandra said.
Naturally, it took a few days for Bruce to get oriented to his new surroundings. But he eventually realized that he could relax now that he didn’t have to fight for food or go hungry again. Bruce now has a human to love and care for him, and the cat always does his best to show Sandra how grateful he is.
“He came into the bathroom when I was showering one day, and looked at me and started meowing as if he was trying to call for help to rescue me from the water,” Sandra said.
The cat would also cuddle up to her as soon as she sits on the couch.
Bruce is so happy and secure at home that he couldn’t help but express his joy by purring loudly. When he does, the sound fills the whole room he’s in. There was even an instance when his veterinarian couldn’t hear his heartbeat because of how loud he was purring.
But Sandra doesn’t mind. All she cares about is getting to wake up next to Bruce every morning and seeing his face full of happiness and contentment. After all, he’s been waiting so long to experience this kind of love. And that gives him every right to “purr” about it for as much as he wants!