Cat Returned to Shelter She Was Adopted From as Family Gets New Kitten

A cat adopted from an Ohio pet shelter has been returned after the family she was living with got a new kitten.

Gemini, a 7-year-old female, was brought back to the Ohio Pet Sanctuary in Cincinnati five years after her adoption, prompting an outpouring of sympathy and concern on the shelter's social media.

The pet sanctuary's founder, Madison Schleibaum, told Newsweek that Gemini—who was then called Frisky—first arrived at the shelter because her owner could no longer take care of her.

"The woman couldn't afford to keep her so she came to us in September 2017 and was adopted in the spring of 2018," Schleibaum said.

"She is very human affectionate and loves her toys. She will swat at you when she's done being petted, but not with claws or intent to injure."

The Ohio Pet Sanctuary's Facebook post on Saturday, September 30, explained that Gemini was "returned when the family got a new kitten and she did not like sharing the attention."

Social media commenters were not impressed at her former owners' decision. Some said the newly arrived kitten should have been returned, rather than Gemini losing her home after such a long time.

One Facebook user posted that the family "shouldn't be around animals" at all, adding: "I pray that she finds an actual family that will love her and spoil her."

Gemini has particular requirements for her new home but she is caring, according to Schleibaum.

"She often reaches through the bars of her condo to grab people if they aren't looking at her. She does not like other cats—adult or kitten—but is very demanding for attention." She also loves looking out of windows.

Every year 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by shelters hit 46,807 in January 2023, an increase of 1,744 on January 2022, said the 24Pet Shelter Watch Report.

Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs and behavior rehabilitation.

Although Gemini has been unfortunate, cats are still the second most popular pet in the U.S., according to the American Pet Products Association.

The association said 46.5 million American households own at least one cat, behind the 65.1 million with at least one dog. Millenials make up 33 percent of all pet owners, it added, followed by Generation X on 25 percent and baby boomers on 24 percent.