Woman couldn't bear to leave 20-year-old deaf cat at shelter for one more night

I cannot for the life of me understand how people can have an animal for all its life and then surrender it to a shelter simply because it is old and has age-related issues. That's the story with this gorgeous white cat that ended up in a shelter after twenty years with its owners.
He was confused and hesitant, and who wouldn't be? And to top it all, he was deaf, too, so he couldn't even hear the kind voices of the people who so willingly took him in. Old cats, especially those with health issues, are unlikely to be adopted, but due to one compassionate soul, this guy was.
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Meredith Bauer happened upon his story online the very day he came into the shelter, and she couldn't get him out of her mind. "I just couldn't stand thinking about him spending another night in a shelter," she said the following morning.
Rascal the deaf cat came into the Spotsylvania Animal Shelter in Fredricksburg, Virginia on Thursday afternoon. His owners didn't want him anymore because he was "old and having accidents in the house." The shelter put his picture and story on Facebook which is where Meredith saw him.
"I was scrolling last night and saw him. He just pulled on the right number of heartstrings," she explained. They brought him out for her to meet, and she simply knew she couldn't go home without him.
He was withdrawn at first, and understandably so. He couldn't understand why his family had abandoned him. But Meredith applied some cuddles and loving and the old fellow perked right up.
As Rascal settled into his new home, Meredith committed to him for the rest of his life, whether short or long. "However his story ends, it definitely will end with me," she promised.
Watch the video below that documents Rascal's rescue from ending his days in a shelter. And tell us, what do you think of people who abandon their pets just when they need them most?
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