Shelter's 'Saddest Cat' Waited Nine Months For The Perfect Family

The sorrowful eyes of this sweet shelter cat hint at a life marked by heartache and pain — but that woeful expression only tells half the story.

Nutmeg, as he's now known, was rescued as a stray in September of last year, and taken to Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, New York. Thought to be 5 years old, the cat had clearly been through a lot of hardship; he was emaciated, his ears were damaged and he was suffering from a nasal infection.

His perpetually worried face showed that he'd run out of hope.

"When we first met Nutmeg, it seemed as though he might be the saddest cat in the world," Paige Doerner, communications specialist at the shelter, told The Dodo.

Nutmeg may have given up hope, but his rescuers did not.

Slowly but surely, the skinny cat's health improved and his sweet personality began to shine through, despite the lingering sadness on his face. Still, what Nutmeg needed most was a forever home to call his own — but potential adopters just kept passing him by.

Over the next nine months, he remained under the care of Lollypop Farm and foster families. Recently, though, that all changed.

Last weekend, that "saddest" cat found what he had been waiting so long for: a family who would embrace him for who he is.

"Nutmeg was adopted by a young couple who fell in love with him the moment they saw his face!" Doerner said. "The adoption counselor who facilitated Nutmeg's meet-and-greet with his new family said that they were so excited about Nutmeg, and just couldn't wait to take him home."

A few days later, Nutmeg's family shared a photo of their new pet at home — and the smile on his face says more than words ever could.

"We just loved the photo that his new family sent us with Nutmeg's little smile!" said Doerner. "Everyone at the shelter who knew Nutmeg realized just what a sweet, special kitty he was — so seeing him relaxed, happy and loved in his new home was really the greatest reward of all."

Nutmeg's face may be uniquely expressive, but the sadness he felt is not. There are plenty of other cats in shelters eager to find adopters, like the couple who welcomed Nutmeg into their lives.

"We know that they will have so much fun with their new feline family member, and we hope that even more people will chose to adopt and start their own story with a shelter pet," Doerner said.