Footage Shows Cats Returned to Shelter After Divorce: ‘Hear the Heartbreak’

The heartbreaking sound of two cats crying for their owner after being returned to an animal shelter has gone viral on TikTok.

Croissant and Danish were adopted at 8 weeks old, but sadly, two years later, they are waiting at Puppy Kitty NYCity animal rescue.

Meagan Licari, the president of the rescue, told Newsweek: “My heart shattered for them. They were so scared.”

The video explaining the tear-jerking reason they were returned has racked up more than 350,000 views and left the internet in shock.

It turns out their owners went through a divorce and as a result, the cats “lost the only home they ever knew,” according to the caption.

During the video, the cats can be heard continuously meowing, and a voice from behind the camera says, “This is what it sounds like when you return your cat.”

The text layered over the clip asks, “can you hear the heartbreak?”

Licari told Newsweek: “I want people to see that it affects animals and they don’t deserve this.

“Kittens and puppies are not toys for kids; they are living, breathing, sensitive creatures with emotions.

“I want people to take pet ownership seriously and not rush into it, this is what happens when you do,” she added. “Adopting is a commitment.”

In January 2022, a group of researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, analyzed records from a South Carolina animal shelter.

They looked at whether people who return a pet to an animal shelter adopt another pet later. The results found that 1 in 10 individuals re-adopted within a year of returning a pet. Those who returned a pet due to health issues were more likely to adopt again compared to those who returned a pet because of behavioral issues.

This suggests that understanding and managing adopters’ expectations about pet behavior is important for future adoptions.

Returns for cats were more often due to the owner’s or the cat’s health compared to dogs, which were more frequently returned for behavior issues.

At the time of writing, the video has amassed 66,300 likes and 1,535 comments.

One comment with 11,200 likes said: “Returned because of a divorce?! My husband and I would fight over who gets the cats and want to share custody. This is crazy.”

Another person commented, “That sound is deep and hurts…so sad, hope they both get adopted together in loving homes.”

A third commenter wrote, “Cats are my favorite. I just don’t understand how people can do this to their family because that’s what pets are, FAMILY!”

Licari told Newsweek that the two cats “are doing a little better now, but not 100 percent.”

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