Thelma Lou, a long-haired, tuxedo cat, with a tail described as “floofy”, would have been a ball of fluff, just a little while ago. She would have been so adorable that it was hard to believe that she was real and not a stuffed toy. Kittens like Thelma Lou might seem blessed, but often their appeal is a curse.

People find them irresistible and take them home impulsively, sometimes with no more thought than they’d give acquiring a Teddy bear. Before long, as the kitten grows, as her normal needs for care need to fit into someone’s day, the impulsive person’s feelings change.

No one knows if that happened to Thelma Lou. The staff just knows that she’s sweet, shy and baffled by shelter life.