When Colleen Simmons made friends with an affectionate stray in Alto, she knew street life wasn’t for him. With her patience, the care of the Habersham Animal Shelter and a Georgia State University graduate, this sweet cat found his forever home.
Simmons met Tootles when she saw him hiding in the trees near her house, and coaxed him out with wet food over the course of a week. Not long after, he was spending his days on her front porch and befriending members of the family. Her daughter called him “Pluto,” and shared toys and treats from with their new friend.
“About two weeks after I first met him, he never left my front door,” Simmons says. After some time gaining his trust, Simmons lured the cat into a carrier and brought him to the Habersham shelter. “I was so sad to see him go, but I knew life outside was not for this boy!”
The Habersham Animal Shelter team neutered, fed, sheltered, loved on and met the health needs of their new resident, whom they called “Tootles.” He was a staff favorite for his affectionate demeanor, but after nearly three weeks at the shelter, Tootles was still waiting for his human.
While the animal shelter’s adoption rates for cats have gone up significantly over the year, black cats are generally adopted at a much slower rate than their colorful cousins. However, these “house panthers,” as Habersham Animal Care and Control Director Madi Nix calls them, are just as wonderful companions as any other breed.
That’s where Jaden Palazesi came in– a 2021 graduate of Georgia State University, who was looking for a furry friend struggling to find a home. Palazesi saw Tootles’ photo after hearing about him and knew without a doubt that it was time for Tootles to come home.
Now, Tootles is lounging around his new home in the heart of Atlanta, with sunshiney windows to look out of and comfy furniture to lounge on. “He’s going to save me just as much as I saved him,” says Palazesi. His new family is smitten with him, and he loves them right back.
